By LIAM DURKIN
LATROBE City Council Law and Councillor Law won’t be getting muddled up in the same sentence anymore.
West Ward councillor Brad Law has decided not to co-contest in the upcoming election.
He joins East Ward councillor Dan Clancey as the only two current councillors not seeking re-election.
Like Cr Clancey, Cr Law believed it was time to pass the baton on.
“The intention was definitely not to run,” Cr Law said.
“I’d be doing it for the wrong reasons, I needed to focus on myself for once. As much as council has been great, and I enjoyed all the time there, it’s just better off letting people full of enthusiasm continue the story.”
While Cr Law, who has served two four-year terms, admitted he had been tossing up whether to run again, the recent passing of his wife “made it very difficult”.
“I just felt circumstances were that it would be better if I didn’t run,” he said.
The Moe businessman oversaw a number of major infrastructure projects during his time on council, notably the multi-million dollar investment into the Moe Revitalisation Project.
Cr Law pointed to the town’s new library and skate park, which has proven to be extremely popular, as some of the highlights from his two terms.
“I think the development that council have achieved has been phenomenal, especially the big ticket items,” he said.
“Traralgon with the art centre (Gippsland Performing Arts Centre), swimming pool (Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre), they were all done prior to COVID and they got value for money.
“From a community point of view, we’ve got some magnificent assets built at the right time.
“I enjoyed the business element of it (council) more than anything else, the big business side of it.”
As they say, money doesn’t grow on trees, and Cr Law said above all else, he hoped his push for strong fiscal management would help future proof the region.
“Most importantly what I got through was at the end of each financial year, any funds that are left over, 50 per cent of that balance of funds of profits goes into a reserve fund so that councils can’t spend it,” he said.
“(Previously) any accumulated surplus was all up for negotiation, everyone would just throw their hands up ‘we’ll do this, do that’ and they’d squander money.
“I got through that 50 per cent of any surplus actually goes into a reserve fund for future development.
“I think that’s the most important thing I got through in my term which I was very happy to.
“We can’t spend all our money at once, we’ve got to leave some for when we really need it.”
While perhaps operating in a more sedate manner compared to other councillors, Cr Law showed he was still able to defend what he believed in, even if it meant being in the minority.
He was one of only four councillors who last year voted in favour of calling on the state government to rescind its decision to end native timber harvesting.
This will arguably be his council legacy in the eyes of most rank and file voters.
Perhaps fittingly given his surname, Cr Law had some words of advice for the incoming council.
“We’d all like to cut red tape, but at the end of the day you have to have good transparency about the whole process and community consultation,” he said.
“It is just part of the process, takes a bit longer, but as long as you get the result at the end of it, the wait is worth it.
“We have to have councillors. If they all act in a responsible way, you can get some amazing projects done.
“That’s what they’ve got to understand, it’s not their own agenda, it’s just got to be the big picture items that they look at
“They all need to work together to get a common goal.”
Cr Law has plenty to keep himself busy with after life as a councillor. He has been a prominent figure in the Moe community, with his construction business giving countless young kids their start in the industry.
He is also vice chairman of Moe Racing Club and heavily involved in the Moe Football-Netball Club, Moe Cricket Club and Cricket Latrobe Valley, holding life membership at all four.
These days, he fulfills the role of senior timekeeper during football season, and as an aside, his father, Alby Law, is Moe’s last senior premiership coach (1967) and whom the club’s best-and-fairest award is named after.
‘I’m relieved in some ways. I can move on,” he said.
“I think I’ve affected some change, I think I’ve left Latrobe City in a better place by being there.”
