Peter Beales is seeking another term at this year’s Ararat Rural City Council election.
Here’s his pitch.
I have read all the candidates’ comments online and heard their positions put at the Candidates’ forum.
They range from motherhood statements to balanced and compassionate positions. Some were also completely out of the realm of local government and some just weird.
So instead of just promises, let’s look at some of the achievements of the last Council, of which I was a proud and active member.
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I supported the restructuring of Council, and, in the past seven budgets, there has been no overall rate rises, no new loans and a current loan debt of under $150,000 coupled with improved services.
Council now has an environment policy formed after calling for expressions of interest from the community and chaired by Professor Peter Gell.
We were the second council to purchase a glass crusher and are processing the material for construction works locally.
We also process all our green waste locally and it is sold commercially locally..
We support business through individual grants and support of the business network.
We lobby governments and private business to support our community with numerous success stories from small business to larger projects, such as Piastoil and Valorify who will inject hundreds of jobs in energy production based on straw stubble and plastic recycling at the very highest level of environmental sustainability.
Council completed the construction of the Gordon Street Sports centre specifically designed for women and it appears that a local AFLW team will play there next season.
The new indoor sports centre is under community discussion, whilst possibly being basic, will be disability compliant unlike the current one, and still fit for purpose.
Ararat Rural City is growing. It is the Gateway to the Grampians, and I intend to see it remains so.
I support appropriate development. Without appropriate development, there will be no population to support the services we have which are the envy of our neighbours.
I endorse the other four current Councillors re-standing as they have proven to share my vision for the community. I also endorse Teli Kaur as an excellent candidate.
I will be personally voting BEALES, Kaur, Waterston, Armstrong J, Armstrong R, Sanders, Preston, Joyce, Scherger, Tipping, Meade, KOKCU.