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Tonight
will be my last Council meeting in over two decades.
I
have personally experienced the ups and downs of local government since the
1993 Act came into being. It was to strengthen local government and to make
modern structural changes.
I’m
not sure whether these aspirations totally bore fruit but here we are. It is
a very different environment I find myself in now to when I was first
elected.
I’ve
seen cost shifting take a formal hold on local government, planning powers
for most part be removed from the council floor, and of course rate pegging.
The debate about this could go on forever but the main issue is the general
public mostly don’t understand the restrictions and challenges placed
on local government and councillors today.
We
remain the level of government closest to the people, and yet we are expected
to respond to needs of our growing communities with our hands tied behind our
backs in many instances.
We
are expected to respond to performance measures imposed on us by State
Government authorities with little room to move, treating us as a business
but we are not a business - we are the core of our community. We’ve had
to value assets which businesses don’t. Business doesn’t have our
situation. It has been argued as artificial in the sense of our financial
existence. Depreciation being a very good example.
The
issues we have faced in the last 18 months have been a testament to our
resilience; floods, fire, and a continuing pandemic; all having a large
resource impact on us never seen before by our sector. All we need now is a
plague of locusts. I am very aware we have had mice in the rural areas.
Councillors
are like Board Members of a company. Their job is to create the overarching policy
which will assist the whole of the community, but within constraints. We are
expected to bring leadership to the fore and to create stability for staff
and to oversee the progress of the organisation through working with senior
staff and the CEO.
This
is a serious role and it comes with some liability. We have little
protection.
The
danger of just appeasing one part of our community without the thought of the
global good could come at a cost and isn’t in line with the
expectations of the Act and nor does it showcase professionalism. We are
always under the microscope.
It
is imperative that councillors work together for the betterment of our
community, across political barriers but understanding our limitations.
We
could be seen as the barometers of our community.
Candidates
for local government need to do their homework before they put their hands
up, because of the restrictions placed on us all, the expectations and the
unique nature of our roles.
We
need to pass the pub test in character and ethics but also, we need to know
what we are doing.
Liverpool
is the third CBD.
In
my lifetime I’ve seen Liverpool move from a township, to a city, to a
regional centre and now in my view a third CBD but a great deal of continued
work and vision must be maintained for this mantle to be assigned proper.
If
we miss the boat, we are damming generations to come to limited work choices,
negative influences on family lives and long-lasting damage to our local
economy.
Our
innovation precinct was a gamble, but we felt it was necessary and it has
paid off especially through the dedication of our staff and our stakeholders.
This is a real achievement and I thank our talented staff for this. And of
course there’s the airport. The connectivity between our CBD and the
aerotropolis must continue be a priority. Transport and logistics will play
its part, but it must be done well to include real investment in our CBD.
Globally,
local government needs to be elevated and respected by other tiers of
Government and until this happens, I believe our fate is uncertain.
I
have been fortunate to represent Liverpool in so many ways and to see our
local government area evolve into what it is today. I am so proud and humbled
to have had a role in this growth and to have met so many interesting and
committed people along the way.
I
would like to thank my husband Paul for his support over such a long time.
We’ve been together over 40 years and over half of this time I’ve
been in involved in local government in some way. It’s been a
partnership for this whole time. I would like to thank my children for their
support because Mum was usually at a council functions, in fact my younger
daughter accompanied me to many functions because we didn’t have
childcare. Many things were missed at a family level because of council
obligations. I would also like to thank my two granddaughters who through no
fault of their own also have had to fit into this lifestyle. And they have
done it well, especially being quiet when I’m on Teams.
I
would like to thank all those in the community who have supported me over
these years and showed kindness and support when needed, and there were times
when that support was very much needed.
I
would like to call out my colleagues and thank you for your work this term. I
would especially like to thank Councillor Karnib for his friendship and
support over so many years. Councillor Karnib has been on the same journey as
myself, although he has more children, and I wish him the best in the up and
coming election. He will now hold the record!
I
would also take this opportunity to wish Chris and Bernadette Hayes well in
their retirement. Chris has been the Federal Member for Fowler, and together
they have worked very hard for their community – they will be missed.
I’ve
worked with over 10 CEOs and GMs and numerous acting GMs since being elected
in 1995, the 5th woman ever to be elected to council. Then
becoming the first female Mayor elected by the people in 2008.
I’m
extremely proud to be the daughter of bread carter, one of 16 children from
an impoverished Irish family, who delivered bread all over Liverpool in the
50s and 60s and who died at the young age of 39.
I
believe he would be proud that his daughter became Mayor of Liverpool and did
it twice. Especially given he ran for council as in independent but was not
successful.
The
Mayoral position has been an extremely stressful role at times, but it came
also with rewards, and it has been a genuine honour to serve our residents
and work with such talented staff.
I’d
like to thank the current CEO for his commitment to the organisation, I wish
him well. I would also like to thank the directors and staff especially the
councillor support staff including my EA Lauren Myers who has been
professional throughout. There’s a great deal of work behind the scenes
that councillors don’t see which makes council what it is.
I
wish all the councillors running again the best in the upcoming elections -
for those who aren’t running I wish you well in a life after council.
There is one. For those who get re-elected, don’t sweat the small
stuff.
It
is my hope the new councillors can be mentored by returning councillors so
that we can continue to move this city forward as it has been master planned
across political lines to ensure a solid future for our city, our region and
our residents.
Thank
you all – Goodbye and good luck in your futures.
RECOMMENDATION
That Council receive and note
this minute.
COUNCIL
DECISION
Motion: Moved:
Mayor Waller
That the recommendation be
adopted.
On being put to the meeting
the motion was declared CARRIED.
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