Don’t be lazy
THE City of Greater Geelong council elections are closing in on us.
I received my ballot paper last week and have posted it to the electoral office, at Busport, Gheringhap St, where all votes must be returned by 6pm, Friday, October 27.
A new era of elected municipal representation is almost upon us.
I reckon everyone should go to the Victorian Electoral Commission website and read the brief submissions provided by each of the candidates as a starter and/or the individual profiles provided by this newspaper on its website.
There are some very impressive candidates and, dare I say it, some not so impressive.
For example, some candidates have declared they are endorsed by a registered political party, but when asked whether they belong to any organisation that may be relevant to their role if elected as a councillor, they have answered: “no”.
I tend to think those who answered “yes” have a better understanding of what they are getting themselves into.
Some candidates have wonderful histories of community service over many years, while others list limited involvement.
There are candidates who seem to be largely single-issue based, but who talk vaguely about broader local issues and visions, those who are concentrating on the issues of the wards they will represent and those who embrace both ward issues and a broad, all-encompassing vision for Geelong and its future.
There are several members of the sacked council standing again as well as others with council experience within and outside Geelong.
I believe it is important we have a mix of experienced and new councillors.
Remember, these people are putting themselves forward as virtually a board of directors to run a $320 million a year business, with more than $200 million of this being our rates.
We do not want economic illiterates or narrow-minded political ideologues spending our money on their pet causes, so examine the candidates and their policies closely and ensure your vote is an informed one.
I also believe it is important voters support candidates who are more than ward-focused because all councillors will also be voting on the “big picture” issues for Geelong and must have a vision for the future of our region that is not small and narrow-minded.
A revitalised CBD for example, is in everyone’s interests, as is the elimination of unemployment and disadvantage in the northern and eastern suburbs.
So read through the candidates’ nomination statements to see how their ward and wider visions compare.
Yes, some candidates did mention “Greater Geelong: A Clever and Creative Vision”, but some did not seem to look outside their prospective ward boundaries.
Remember, once elected, like it or not, our councillors will all be voting on all issues that come before council, not just their own ward-related matters.
There are many issues in all four wards that need attention and there will also be issues that will impact across all wards.
Deakin University, the Gordon Institute, Barwon Health and CSIRO have led the way in transitioning Geelong to become a modern, science-based city, a vision also shared by G21, the Committee for Geelong and Geelong Chamber of Commerce.
There was little mention of this in candidates’ nomination statements.
But the sacked council did share this vision even if all councillors did not seem to embrace it.
The new City of Greater Geelong council not only has a role to play here, but a leadership role and it must have councillors who share the vision and are prepared to work with other community organisations to realise that vision.
As voters we owe it to our children and grandchildren, to vote for people with such a vision, to bring to council the leadership necessary to continue to transition Geelong to a city-region that will provide them with jobs and a bright and prosperous future in a fast-changing world.
So read what your candidates have to say about where they stand and do not just take the lazy way out this election and vote down the list.