By Michael Newhouse
NEW Brimbank City Council mayor Margaret Giudice is hopeful that she can help unite a bitterly divided council and restore residents’ faith in their elected representatives over the coming year, as council returned for its first sitting for 2007 last week.
Residents, past Brimbank councillors, mayors, and at least one state politician packed into the public gallery last Tuesday to hear the new mayor outline her vision for Brimbank for the coming year.
Ken Capar, who is overseas and on leave until early February, was the only councillor not at the year’s first meeting.
“It is my firm belief that what our community wants and needs more than anything at this time is to be listened to, and to have someone to respond to their needs,” Cr Giudice said in a brief speech before official business began.
“I can stand up in council chamber twice a month and comment in the local press about what we need to do for our local community, but as they say ‘words come easy, and actions speak louder than words’,” she said.
Cr Giudice flagged the controversial redevelopment of the Sunshine Swim and Leisure Centre as one of the important issues facing council this year. She also said water restrictions would pose a significant challenge to public amenity and sporting groups.
Council is undertaking a feasibility study – due for completion later this year – examining the possibility of using one of the swimming pools from the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne for the new swim centre.
“I’m not interested in revisiting old issues, I’m interested in moving on in a new light and direction,” Cr Giudice said, a clear reference to the council’s previous internal disputes. Tension between the new mayor and recently deposed former mayor Natalie Suleyman simmered during the early part of the meeting, coming to a head when Cr Suleyman objected to parts of the council’s new “commemorative plaques policy”.
Cr Anthony Abate threw his support behind the former mayor, and Cr Suleyman was successful in forcing a minor change to the policy.
There was scattered applause from the gallery when the new mayor asked Cr Suleyman to stand when addressing the chamber, but aside from a couple of comments from disgruntled residents the meeting finished up quickly and without incident – a rarity for Brimbank City Council.
By Brimbank standards it was a quiet start to the new year.
How long this new-found civility lasts is anyone’s guess, but the new mayor was hopeful.
“My hope is that this year will be one which will unite councillors along with the community, to work towards the betterment of Brimbank,” Cr Giudice said.
The next council meeting will be held at Sassella Park Community Centre, Station Rd, Deer Park, on Tuesday 13 February.
