Cr Kim McAliney is Wyndham’s newest mayor. 74376 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By XAVIER SMERDON
IT IS time for Wyndham to get back to basics according to the newly elected Mayor, Kim McAliney.
Cr McAliney was voted into her second term as Mayor last Wednesday night in front of around 100 residents and community leaders.
There was a clear division among the councillors as Bob Fairclough received three votes to take the job while Cr McAliney received five. Cr Cynthia Manson was absent.
It is the second time Cr McAliney has taken the reigns at the Council, while Cr Glenn Goodfellow was elected as Deputy Mayor for the first time.
In a speech made shortly after her election, Cr McAliney said population growth in Wyndham was a major issue.
“In the past six years I’ve seen significant change, many more community centres, sporting facilities, ovals, new libraries… new roads and even new suburbs. But we still continue to be in catch up mode,” Cr McAliney said.
“Growth cannot continue without timely infrastructure improvements within our community.”
Cr McAliney said she would also make police and ambulance paramedic numbers as well as hospital care some of her main priorities.
“Mercy Hospital and its staff do an incredible job but we are no longer a country town, we’re a city of 172,000,” she said.
“This year with John’s (Menegazzo) lobbying we received nine new police officers. While welcome – totally inadequate.
“I will continue to lobby our ambulance services to find a suitable premises for a new MICA (Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) unit. This has been a passion since I was Mayor last time and it still hasn’t happened. It’s a continuing saga.”
