Surf Coast council’s incumbent mayor and deputy are tipped to re-nominate for their respective roles.
Councillors will meet later today to elect the shire’s heads of the local government area for the next 12-months.
Mayor Liz Pattison has served in the role for the last year and says she’ll be putting her hand up for re-election.
Her deputy Cr Mike Bodsworth has served for the same period and says he’ll be doing the same, but is not aware of any challengers to either position.
“If there are that’s all good,” he said.
The successful nominees will take the council to next year’s local government elections.
“We’ll be running through the campaign period where stability on the council will be important,” Cr Bodsworth said.
“There are certainly disagreements which is a healthy part of the business and there’s occasional dysfunction which is absolutely to be expected from a council of diverse perspectives and opinions.”
Differences aside Cr Bodsworth described the current council as “high performing”, but one that faces the big issues many other local governments around the state and country are dealing with.
“Like housing availability and affordability which we’re trying to do our bit to address…cost of living is really important,” he said.
“I think with those preoccupations people probably don’t have a big appetite for big changes, so I think continuing with a well set out program like the council plan is probably important because it’s predictable for people.”
The latest Rental Affordability Index shows that Torquay remains one of the most unaffordable postcodes in regional Victoria, other towns like Anglesea are similarly placed, something Cr Bodsworth says he’s not surprised by.
“It’s something that we’ve been putting a lot of work into, notwithstanding the limited role that local government has in the bigger parts of that picture.
“Each of us on the council know people who’ve had to move because of housing stress, housing affordability and housing availability….a lot of people who we would much rather keep in the area who have had to move out, people who make great contributions.”
The meeting gets underway at council’s Torquay chambers from 5:00pm.
