EAST WARD
Sandy Kam – I was born, raised and have always lived in Traralgon. My family and I have operated businesses in Traralgon and Moe.
Aims: ■ Latrobe City is the fourth largest regional city and the only one in south east victoria. We need to promote and capitalise on this. ■ Better community engagement. ■ A more open and accountable council. ■ Create the environment that encourages economic development that provides sustainable, full-time ongoing employment opportunities and growth.
Current issues: There are many issues that need to be addressed such as a review of our rate system, improving our planning processes, ensuring that the strategic planning issues currently being developed reflect the views of the community that will be impacted. Improve services and inclusiveness with our smaller communities. Maintain and improve services in major towns.
Dale Harriman – I’m married with three children and have lived in Traralgon over 20 years. I’ve been involved with Tyers Soccer and Traralgon Basketball as a coach and board member and served on the Traralgon Chamber of Commerce committee. I work at Gippsland Carers and have a background in business and hospitality management.
Aims: ■ Make council fiscally responsible and reduce pressure on rates ■ To promote residential developments that fit with the city character and community amenity and expectations. ■ To make community assets available to the community. ■ To make council more responsive to community concerns and to act quickly in the best interest of the community and to keep the community informed.
Current Issues: Streamline planning process and reduce pressure on residents. Independent audit of council efficiencies and how council can respond to ratepayers more effectively. Review of council costs and use of consultants. Review of projects that haven’t eventuated.
Kellie O’Callaghan – I’ve lived in the Latrobe Valley all of my life and currently live in Traralgon.
My work has been primarily in the health and human services field in the development and management of community based organisations and I am the current chair of the board of directors at Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Aims: ■ Robust and accountable governance structures, processes and decision making. ■ Strong employment, education, business and health opportunities to meet our community’s needs now and into the future. ■ Work with the community to bring effective change, focus on opportunities for our region’s future and address issues impacting on us locally. ■ Accessible local council services that are well resourced and sustainable.
Current issues: Continue working on community engagement; focus on attracting the resources required to realise our major infrastructure projects; develop and maintain key stakeholder relationships.
Michael Rossiter – I reside in Traralgon and I am married to Michelle and have two children. I operate my own business as a refrigeration, air conditioning and electrical contractor, after having completed apprenticeships for both trades in the Latrobe Valley. I employ locals and support local sports interests and am a service club member.
Aims: ■ I aim to assist in directing the way our community can return to a vibrant commercially successful region. ■ A fresh approach towards job creation. ■ Reduce social disruption in the community. ■ Improve communication and proper consideration of citizens needs by Latrobe City Council.
Current issues: Establish a working environment with my fellow councillors.
SOUTH WARD
Darrell White – I’m the son of a dairy farming family from Hazelwood Estate and have lived in Churchill and Hazelwood area for most of my life. I have a strong personal emphasis on being community involved through organisations including being a director of Apprenticeships Group Australia and Gippsland Sports Academy chairman.
Aims: ■ Focus on jobs growth through diverse economic developments. Advocacy with state and federal governments to provide funding for critical coal drying technological innovation research, and improved rail transport infrastructure for coal export and reduced carbon emissions. ■ Prudent financial control of Council’s funds. ■ Emphasis on efficient quality service delivery and Council asset infrastructure maintenance.
Current issues: Continuing strong advocacy with federal and state governments to ensure there is ongoing engagement as the transition is made to a low carbon sustainable future economy.
WEST WARD
Sharon Gibson – I’m a local girl who has lived here most of my life. My family has been in the Newborough area for four generations. I’ve always been active in the community with many different community groups as I believe its is important to be a part of the community and help one another.
Aims: ■ Jobs; I want our area to thrive. ■ Unsightly properties; I would like this issue dealt with completely so our town shows the pride that we have in our area. ■ Hard rubbish; I want to investigate possibilities available to us to reinstate the service. ■ Rates; I want to look at the most fair and equitable system we can bring in across the board.
Current issues: I want the council working as efficiently and effectively as possible and listening to all the ratepayers.
Peter Gibbons– I have been semi-retired for five years but active throughout that time as a voluntary community advocate in Moe/Newborough. Many people are familiar with my long experience as an industrial relations advocate in the metals manufacturing industry. Originally, I am a State Electricity Commission trade trained boilermaker.
Aims: ■ The matters I care about include industry development and job creation. ■ Development of a Moe transport interchange, improving the MACP and a dedicated facility for community organisations. ■ Improving Council administration and governance. ■ Actively involve West Ward residents in decision making. I have been following local council activities closely over the last five years. My professional background should stand me in good stead to seek better outcomes for residents in West Ward.
CENTRAL WARD
Christine Sindt –
I am Morwell-born and hold a doctorate in physical chemistry and also qualified in secondary education, adult education and tourism. I have worked at several Victorian universities, and am self-employed in a local mini-bus and mini-coach hire business. I have three adult children and am a graduate of Leadership Victoria.
Aims: ■ Review the revenue stream to Latrobe City Council for our brown coal reserves. ■ Ensure that all vulnerable people in Latrobe City have wholesome food and a safe place to live. ■ Complete the Performing Arts Centre in Morwell with input from GippsTAFE, and the Macfarlane Burnet Tourism Trail as originally proposed in the Traralgon Activity Centre Plan. ■ Promote the Grand Strzelecki Track as an iconic international tourist destination with the assistance of local indigenous guides who understand its biodiversity.
Current issues: I have promised to pursue unresolved issues of poor drainage, freeway closure, landslides and mine instability around Morwell township and Yallourn mines.
Graeme Middlemiss – I think the real challenge council will face in the coming term will be balancing rate income against community expectation of the level of council services. The election campaign appears to have raised expectations of cost reductions which will be difficult in light of potential cost blow-outs in areas such as superannuation and waste management.
Aims: ■ An even greater focus on job creation and economic development. ■ Overcoming the bureaucratic planning ‘log jam’ which has held back housing land development in the Morwell area for so long. ■ Council vigorously encouraging new alternative and cleaner uses of brown coal to help take the environmental pressure off our existing paper and coal employment base. ■ Promoting Latrobe City so that it is recognised and funded by state and federal governments as being the equal of the likes of Ballarat and Bendigo.
Current issues: Completion of the jobs-related Gippsland Intermodal Freight Terminal project; taking the proposed Motor Sports complex from planning to construction; development of the airport residential ‘Air-Park’.
