This weekend, we will learn who will form the new City of Greater Bendigo council.
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Our community has exercised the right to vote and is about to find out whom of the 32 candidates who nominated across the Whipstick, Lockwood and Eppalock wards will represent us in the council chambers.
Voting gives each of us power to choose who will represent us – but it is a power we then hand over. That power is given to those we have chosen to set strategic direction and policy for our region. Indeed, it is a significant responsibility.
Scrutineers monitoring this week’s voting suggest there will be change. The council will include several new faces – and potentially, there will be further division. Some candidates were opaque about their reasons for standing for council - and in the coming months, we will come to understand their motivation. But we challenge those councillors to put first the greater Bendigo region.
The Municipal Association of Victoria has advice on the role of a council and what good governance looks like. It states what the community expects councillors to be: honest and ethical; motivated to perform; reliable and approachable; knowledgeable about the community; influenced by community concerns and good communicators.
Councillors must provide good governance in areas including civic leadership; representation and advocacy; inter-governmental negotiation; decision making and enforcement of local laws; local policy and planning in a regional and state context; accountability and performance measurement and resources and asset management
Our community expects our councillors to provide good governance, without prejudice. But beyond that, when they are tasked with considering a range of views and making decisions, we expect them to have considered, respectful debate. And we expect that when decisions are made, there is unity.
We have seen how a council can be distracted by personalities; by internal bickering, personal insults, costly code of conduct panel hearings and disunity. We do not expect councillors to always agree, but we urge them to make decisions early about how they will resolve disputes and then stand united. Our city cannot afford another tumultuous four years.
The community will hold this council to account - and so too, will this newspaper.
Nicole Ferrie, editor