Farhat fills vacancy in Central Ward
Warragul resident Farhat Firdous will fill the vacancy on Baw Baw Shire Council.
Ms Firdous fills the extraordinary vacancy created by the resignation of former Central Ward councillor Joe Gauci last month.
After two weeks weighing up her options, Ms Firdous decided to “take up this amazing opportunity to serve my beloved community”.
Yet to be officially sworn in, she was in the gallery at Wednesday night’s draft budget community submission session.
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) declared the countback result earlier that day.
The VEC stated Ms Firdous was the only eligible candidate remaining from the October 2020 local government election.
“The VEC invited Ms Firdous to declare she was still qualified to be a councillor in writing,” VEC election manager Roger Millar said. “As she returned the declaration within the required 14-day timeframe, she has been declared elected.”
She will serve until the end of the current council term in November 2024.
At the 2020 election, five candidates stood for three councillor positions in the Central Ward. Cr Danny Goss was first elected, followed by Cr Jazmin Tauru second.
Mr Gauci was elected to fill the third position by a mere 58 votes over the now Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham.
While the countback would normally go to the next in line, Mr Farnham said, given his election to state government, he would not accept the Baw Baw opportunity.
As the only remaining candidate, the VEC process allowed Ms Firdous the opportunity to join council.
“I would like to thank the community members, especially those who have supported and mentored me over the years.
“I welcome opportunities to engage in conversations with local residents and represent diverse perspectives at the council with an aim to create an inclusive and welcoming community,” Ms Firdous said.
Ms Firdous brings a wealth of relevant expertise to her new role, informed by professional experience in media and communications, stakeholder engagement, regional planning, tertiary education, public service governance and in the not-for-profit sector.
As the co-founder and chair of Intercultural Exchange, Ms Firdous has spearheaded a community-minded organisation aimed at fostering safe spaces and strengthening a sense of belonging by reducing potential miscommunications, assumptions and discrimination.
Baw Baw Shire mayor Annemarie McCabe congratulated Ms Firdous on her election.
“With her demonstrable experience and dedication to community engagement, I’ve no doubt she will bring an invaluable perspective to council’s decision making processes,” Cr McCabe said.