Three-time Ballarat mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh has said she plans to stand for a fourth term on council in the local government elections this October.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Cr McIntosh has been on council since 2008, and will once again contest the Ballarat Central Ward, which now includes a crowded field of former mayors.
Alongside Cr McIntosh, these include Cr Mark Harris and former councillor and long-term local MP Geoff Howard.
Asked which projects she was most pleased to have been involved in during this past term, she said the Link Road, the redevelopment of the Civic Hall site, as well as works on the city's sporting facilities - including Mars Stadium and the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre.
Cr McIntosh has been well known in the community for a number of years. Growing up in Stawell, she trained as a nurse, has also worked in hospitality then subsequently as an estate agent.
Currently a member of the Liberal Party, she stood against Catherine King for the party in the 2007 elections after a high-profile defection from the Nationals Party, for whom she had contested an upper house seat in the 2006 state elections.
COUNCIL COVERAGE
She stood for pre-selection for the Liberal Party in the 2014 Wendouree state elections, a seat that was contested by Craig Coltman.
The Liberal Party does not endorse candidates for local council elections.
Elected as mayor by fellow councillors for three consecutive years in this term of council, Cr McIntosh was ousted from the role by current incumbent Cr Ben Taylor last October.
An unusual coalition of councillors responsible for the change included Greens Party member Belinda Coates, ALP members Des Hudson and Daniel Moloney and fellow Liberal Party members Crs Amy Johnson and Taylor.
"The politics of the past year have made me stronger," she said, adding that she felt some of it had been "unnecessary".
While the costs of some projects strongly advocated for by Cr McIntosh, including the Gatekeepers Cottage and the new fernery - both in Ballarat Botanical Gardens - have drawn criticism in recent months, Cr McIntosh says she would not let that put her off.
Instead, she said she was "enormously proud" of those projects and her track record in office, and was excited to be standing again. She said she was doing so as she had "unfinished business" she wished to complete.
The two areas she said she would concentrate on if elected were the development of the city's waste strategy - particularly the proposed All Waste-Interchange, which has had $5 million of council funding set aside. An application for state investment is currently in progress.
"We need to take some very big steps in the next council term to confirm that way forward," she said.
Cr McIntosh also cited the city's long-standing push, along with 12 other municipalities, for world heritage status as another priority.
While saying she was focused on being re-elected for the moment, she would not rule out standing for mayor again if she is returned to a new council.
The elections take place by postal ballot, with votes due to be received by October 24.
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thankyou very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.
