Valuable insight for those thinking of running for council

THE need for councillors to set boundaries that ensure they don’t take on the responsibilities of council’s customer service staff was a key message delivered for budding candidates at the recent Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) ‘Stand for Council’ information session in Leongatha.

It was made clear that busy people can successfully handle the responsibilities of being a councillor, but they must learn the skill of knowing which tasks to tackle themselves and when to call on the assistance of others in the council team.

“For $25,000 a year, you could work 24 hours seven days a week and not go close to meeting community expectations of your time,” South Gippsland Shire Council CEO Kerryn Ellis cautioned during the session.

However, she added that new councillors will learn how the load can be shared and gain an understanding of how to meet community needs without having to micromanage.  

Attendees heard about the Victorian Government’s requirement for extensive induction training of new councillors and learned the importance of the Council Plan and the fact it is a project they will soon be involved in should they be elected.

Bass Coast Shire Council CEO Greg Box said that while there is a steep learning curve for new councillors and they will discover things they didn’t expect, although challenging, it is an exciting time.

Members of the public will expect councillors to be available almost the moment they are elected and the sheer volume of information thrust before you can be a shock.

“There’s a lot of reading, and one learns over time how to be strategic with it,” Mr Box said.

The common myth that councils should restrict their activities to roads, rates and rubbish was quickly dispelled, MAV CEO Kelly Grigsby stressing that hasn’t been the case for decades and that State Government legislation imposes a wide range of requirements on councils. 

Those considering running on a single issue heard repeatedly during the evening that is ill-advised and that councillors must do their utmost to serve the whole shire in which they are elected and not only those in their ward, no matter how passionate they are about their local patch.

After Ms Grigsby provided general background information on councils in Victoria, relevant legislative requirements and the role of councillors, including mayors, she led a discussion with panel members.

In addition to Ms Ellis and Mr Box, the panel consisted of Baw Baw Shire Council’s director of governance Martin Hopley and Latrobe City Council’s acting CEO Nathan Kearsley.

That panel was eventually replaced with retiring South Gippsland Shire councillor Mohya Davies and Cr Marcia Timmers-Leith of Knox City Council, both of whom spoke about why they ran and their experiences.

Cr Davies described herself as the “accidental councillor,” having attended a council election session in 2008 at which it appeared few people would stand in the Coastal Promontory Ward, deciding to give it a go.

She was initially overwhelmed after being elected but ultimately found the experience of representing South Gippsland Shire communities rewarding.

“I’m proud to say I’ve served for 11 years in South Gippsland and I’ve loved what I’ve done; it’s not been easy and some of the planning decisions are the hardest because they affect people personally,” Cr Davies said.

She pointed out that being a councillor is a great opportunity for self-development with an extensive range of training available, encouraging young people to consider it as a “stepping stone”.

One attendee asked whether you need thick skin to be a councillor, with Cr Timmers-Leith conceding you do to an extent but that there is comfort in knowing you are part of a group of councillors and won’t be solely responsible for the decisions reached.

She also stressed that whatever decision is made will displease someone, so you need to accept that.

To run for council, you must be enrolled as a voter in the municipal district in which you are standing, with enrolment closing at 4pm on Wednesday, August 7.

Candidate nominations open on Monday, September 9 and close Tuesday, September 17, and mandatory candidate training must be completed. 

Visit vec.vic.gov.au for further information.