A message from the Mayor - Mayoral Election outcome

Published on 09 November 2015

It is an honour to once again be elected as Mayor of Mildura Rural City Council and I’m very pleased to have Cr Sharyon Peart elected as Deputy Mayor, a fitting role for one of our hardest working Councillors.   

I would also like to thank Cr John Arnold for his support and dedication as the outgoing Deputy Mayor.  Cr Arnold has been heavily involved in a number of projects, including the Riverfront Redevelopment. I know he will continue to serve the community’s interests with the same commitment and passion over the coming year.

I’m looking forward to now working with Cr Peart as Deputy Mayor and our other Councillors, as we continue our push for lower rates, the locking in of full funding for the Murray Basin Rail project, the upgrade of the Mildura Airport Runway and the other major priorities identified in our Council Plan. In fact, this week I‘ll head to Canberra with our Federal Member Andrew Broad to continue the push for the upgrades to the Mildura Airport runway.

I want to thank all the Councillors for their passion and commitment to our community. We may have differing opinions on issues, but in the end, we all essentially want the same thing.  We want every person in this community to be given opportunities to thrive, prosper and to live happy, fulfilling lives.  We want our community to have access to similar services, infrastructure and social structures as our city counterparts.

The next 12 months will see many projects completed, the first stage of the Mildura River Front Upgrade being the largest, and hopefully see some very important projects either fully funded or committed to. It will also be the first year of “Rate Capping” which will provide some interesting challenges for us as well an opportunity to strengthen our push for increased financial support from the State and Federal Governments.

Cr Peart and I strongly believe the strength of our region comes largely from our relationships and partnerships. As a leadership team we will work with the governments of the day to continue highlight the benefits of investing in our region, its people and infrastructure.

While I may have many ideas on how I would like Council to operate and my own thoughts and ideas for many projects and points of focus, Council’s policies and direction are set by all Councillors working together for the best outcomes for the community in general. I look forward to working with all Councillors as we set “Council Policy” and continue to pursue those well documented, well researched and well supported items of concern.

We’re also heading into an election year, which will provide its own distractions and distortions, as the push for recognition and public profile increases. While I fully understand this process, it is important that we don’t lose sight of what is really needed for our community.

I would also like to thank all the Council staff who support the Councillors on a daily basis. Our staff often don’t receive the public thanks they deserve for the huge amount of work they do in the background. Our Projects and Policies wouldn’t see the light of day without the energy and expertise that our staff provide.

I look forward to the next twelve months working for what I believe is the best community in Australia. This is where I have chosen to live and raise my family, it is an exceptional community and one I am very proud to continue to serve.

It is now time to get on with the job and continue to make our municipality a great place to live.  

Cr. Glenn Milne