THE mayors of Mornington Peninsula and Frankston councils have been included in the state government’s Local Government Mayoral Advisory Panel.
Cr Despi O’Connor (Mornington Peninsula) and Cr Kris Bolam (Frankston) are among 15 mayor’s on the panel which will meet with Local Government Minister Shaun Leane four times this year to “provide advice on a range of matters that impact local government” including “ideas and initiatives to benefit the local government sector and aid in recovery from the coronavirus pandemic”.
The news release from the minister’s office incorrectly identified Cr O’Connor as “Mayor of Mornington”. The former Shire of Mornington was amalgamated with the neighbouring shires of Flinders and Hastings in 1994.
The panel will meet for the first time on 21 April via videoconference.
Cr O’Connor said the panel presented “a wonderful opportunity to discuss issues affecting the peninsula” with Mr Leane.
“I’m looking forward to many productive conversations with my mayoral colleagues over the next year,” she said.
Mr Leane said members of the 2020 mayoral panel discussed recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires, responding to the pandemic, implementation of the Local Government Act 2020, state and local government approaches to homelessness, dealing with the effect of the pandemic on tourism and “harnessing” the Working for Victoria initiative.
Other mayors on this year’s panel are Sally Capp (Melbourne), Louise Crawford (Port Phillip), Kate Hely (Stonnington), Joseph Haweil (Hume), Adele Hegedich (Wyndham), Kim O’Keeffe (Greater Shepparton), Daniel Moloney (Ballarat), Mendy Urie (East Gippsland), Libby Stapleton (Surf Coast), Jennifer Anderson (Macedon Ranges), Jenny O’Connor (Indigo), David Wortmann (Towong) and Jo Armstrong (Ararat).
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 6 April 2021
