By VANESSA VALENZUELA
BRIMBANK’S new Chief of Administrators John Watson hopes to capitalise on the municipality’s location to create better opportunities for the community.
Mr Watson, who will be sworn in as Chair tomorrow night, believes Brimbank is known as the ‘Heart of the West’ because of its strategic location.
Mr Watson, who helped appoint the previous panel of administrators in 2009, was well aware of the importance of his new role.
“I certainly don’t underestimate the responsibility. Brimbank is a very significant municipality,” Mr Watson said.
After five years as Local Government Victoria Executive Director within the Department of Planning and Community Development, Mr Watson had a few plans of his own – namely a retirement in January.
But he was approached by the State Government to take on a new role as an administrator for Brimbank.
“When the government decided to extend the period of administration, the Minister being aware of that, approached me to go a little earlier and join the administration here,” Mr Watson said.
“It was certainly an honour to be approached by the Minister.”
Mr Watson has more than 40 years’ experience working with local government and has worked in a number of executive roles, including CEO of the Shire of Bulla, Moonee Valley and Hume City Council.
Mr Watson, who hails from Sunbury, has spent the last week learning more about the issues that affect Brimbank and is confident he can work alongside council administrators and staff to provide the best outcome for the area.
“I think I am fortunate that I can draw on my experience from those various roles and all those years to add value to the city,” he said.
Mr Watson takes the reins from Peter Lewinsky who stepped down from his role as chair but will remain on council as an administrator until 2015.
Mr Watson recognised the previous work undertaken by Jo Anderson and Meredith Sussex and had noticed the gradual improvements to Brimbank over the last few years.
“They’ve done an enormous amount of work in that period to change the way which council, as an organisation, relates to the community.”
He said the previous administrators had managed to achieve a “fairer spread of dollar across the city” and hopes as Chair of Administrators he can represent and promote the interests of the community in a fair and equitable manner.
A third Brimbank administrator is yet to be announced.
