Do the right thing

THE Class of 2017 has arrived.

Congratulations to the councillors-elect Asher, Mason, Sullivan, Kontelj, Mansfield, Murrihy, Harwood, Nelson, Murnane, Aitken and Grzybek.

The electorate has chosen you to represent their interests, and as proud locals that should give you all confidence to make the right decisions for the public you now serve.

The makeup of our new council will be interpreted different ways in Geelong, depending on how you view the sacking of the last council.

Those opposed to the sacking, including sackees such as former mayor Darryn Lyons, have already expressed the view that the re-election of four sacked councillors is an embarrassment for the State Government that removed them.

Others will see six new faces with diverse experience as a welcome change from the past.

The reality is the return of four of the old council (and not its most blunt or colourful members) out of a total of 11 is neither a complete fresh start nor a total return to — and vindication of — the old.

What it is, though, is an opportunity to turn the page for the good of this city.

We wish the Class of 2017 the best of luck with their work ahead.

We urge you to be sensible in the performance of your duties.

Be brave and bold. Be outspoken, particularly as advocates for Geelong getting a fair chop out from state and federal governments — it is something we have missed in the past 18 months.

Don’t cover up problems in City Hall or in the city — name them and fix them.

Sunlight is a much better disinfectant than pulling down the shades and sitting in the dark. Communicate your plans with the public, admit errors, and don’t be scared of us grizzled members of the media.

We hope you avoid groupthink, death-by-red-tape, bad behaviour and the pitfalls of pride, ego and vanity.

But most of all we hope you remember to serve the public, get real outcomes and do the right thing.