Council
29 November, 2024
Mayor re-elected
COUNCILLOR Ben Blain has been re-elected mayor of Warrnambool City Council for a second term.
Speaking with the Warrnambool Weekly earlier this week, Cr Blain said he was absolutely thrilled to be re-appointed to the role and thanked his fellow councillors for the opportunity.
“Being mayor of Warrnambool City Council is certainly a great honour and it’s something I’m very proud of,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to again working with my fellow councillors and the community to continue to make our city a great place to visit, live, work and play.
“This month we welcomed Bill Edis, Willy Benter and Matt Walsh to the council table and they join re-elected councillors Vicki Jellie (deputy mayor), Debbie Arnott, Richard Ziegeler and myself.
“I believe we have a great team that will represent the residents and community groups and work cohesively towards some great outcomes.”
His first term as city mayor was both extremely busy and rewarding for Cr Blain, with many memorable moments and achievements.
“The development of the Brierly Precinct would be among the items at the top of the list, and this is an ongoing project but one I’m very excited about,” he said.
“That precinct will not only be a wonderful sporting facility but it will be a great community hub for the benefit of all ages.
“Seeing our city become a refugee welcome zone was also a highlight, as was the formation of plans for the swimming pool and the art gallery.
“But it’s not just the big ticket items that are important, just as important are the one-percenters; the smaller but just as important items like the footpath development at Woodford Primary School and the Harrington Road upgrade.”
Covering an area of around 121 square kilometres, and with an operating budget of around $100 million, meeting the increasing needs of such a growing municipality as Warrnambool can also pose its challenges.
“We are constantly looking for additional funding, including from both the state and federal governments, to ensure we are continually moving forward.
“We know the next 12 months will be just as challenging as the last but these are exciting times for our city.
“We have a lot of projects that are either now underway or about to take shape. This includes the development of a Childcare Centre of Excellence to help cope with the rising demand for additional staff across our childcare and early childhood centres.
“We are also looking at our local laws to delegate further powers to our local police to help with issues surrounding homelessness in our city.”
Cr Blain said in response to concerns expressed by Warrnambool traders and shoppers, police have “ramped up” patrols in the area, particularly in and around the CBD.
“We will be looking at this issue closely at next week’s council meeting; staff should feel safe to go to work and shoppers should also feel safe to go about their business.”
Outside his mayoral demands, Cr Blain is now preparing for one of his biggest roles to date – that of a father.
“My wife Natalie and I are expecting our first child in a few short weeks so that’s very exciting,” he said.
“The next 12 months are certainly going to be extra busy.”
