WE'LL FIX IT

New council pledges to unite to end years of City Hall dysfunction

WHO’S THE BOSS: THE JOSTLE FOR MAYOR WINNERS: FRESH FACES & BOOMERANG COUNCILLORS NCILLORS WARD-BY-WARD RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

GEELONG’S 11 councillor select have signalled the beginning of a more harmonious chapter in the city’s local government history.

With election results revealed on Saturday, the City of Greater Geelong’s 11 newest councillors are set to be officially declared by the Victorian Electoral Commission about 4pm today.

The councillors signalled a determination to work together during the next three years in the wake of the sacking of the previous council by the State Government.

“Love one another, that’s not a bad rule is it?” Bellarine Ward councillor-elect Jim Mason said yesterday.

“I suppose the first thing is to establish good relations with all the rest of the council.

“Conflict resolution and responsible dealing with problems where there are diverse interests and polarities.

“We have to find solutions to these problems that please as most people as possible.”

Fellow Bellarine Ward councillor-elect Trent Sullivan, who made his way onto council through preferences, said the new councillors would need to avoid breaking off into factions “at all cost”.

“It’s about putting Geelong first, not ourselves. There’s no room for personalities on council,” Mr Sullivan said.

Four members from the previous sacked council were returned: Eddy Kontelj, Peter Murrihy, Bruce Harwood and Ron Nelson.

Lindsay Ellis was the only sacked councillor to stand and miss out on re-election.

Mr Kontelj said the new council would have some “special needs”. “We just need to follow good, proper practices, deal with each other appropriately and respectfully, and everything will be fine,” he said.

The election resulted in another council-level win for the Greens party, with Brownbill Ward candidate Sarah Mansfield becoming the city’s first Greens councillor.

Ms Mansfield said that helping to create a functional council would be her first priority.

“There’s a big trust deficit I think, and that will be one of our big tasks over the next three years, to rebuild some of that trust with the community as well as with council staff,” she said.

Two government monitors will watch over the council until 2020.