The Central Ward is one of the most interesting battle grounds of this election campaign, including some of the most high-profile names on the Ballarat political scene. It includes no fewer than four former mayors - Mark Harris, Geoff Howard, Stephen Jones, and Samantha McIntosh - standing for a total of three seats.
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Two candidates - John Dooley and Kumuda Simpson - are standing for the first time, while former federal candidate Nick Shady is also standing. The current deputy mayor Cr Belinda Coates is also seeking a third term on council.
As with other wards, all candidates are listed alphabetically. We asked that each response was kept to a maximum of 50 words. Answers that exceeded that have been edited.
IDEAS/VISION
1.What are the three most urgent issues you want to address in council to ensure Ballarat can meet future challenges?
Belinda Coates: COVID recovery and shoring up support for the local economy, business and job creation. Urgent climate action, zero-net city wide target for 2030, with initiatives to benefit community, environment and economy. Community-building measures that foster wellbeing and create a fairer more inclusive Ballarat, including arts, cultural development.
John Dooley: Rates that reflect services actually delivered. Reprocessing glass locally for a return. Renewing suburban streets to the highest level of safety for pedestrian traffic and vehicles.
Mark Harris: Recovery from COVID will be the next council's main issue and low rates and charges rather than infrastructure spend will be the best way for equitable stimulus. Not allowing urban sprawl but leveraging our city and infrastructure for high value and sustainable growth. Making the organisation efficient with focus on core functions.
Geoff Howard: Getting people back to work by accelerating council projects which provide stimulus value. Also working in partnership with local business leaders to reinvigorate our economy and supporting those doing it hard due to COVID by working cooperatively with welfare providers. Getting Lydiard Street reopened with the railway gates reinstated.
Stephen Jones: The next council needs to focus on engaging the services of a CEO with some exemplary people skills to improve the workplace culture. I would like to pursue the waste to energy facility for the region. Also traffic congestion is becoming a real issue.
Samantha McIntosh: Being COVID alert, ensuring full understanding of business needs to remove council impediments to adaptations and growth to maximise current and future possibilities, including job creation. Ensure current projects, such as CBD revival are undertaken. Focus on returning vibrancy to our streetscapes as a creative, clever, heritage rich city.
Nick Shady: Stopping the constant cost shifting from state and federal governments to ratepayers. Working on a plan to get stalled projects like a waste to energy plant and removing heavy transport from local road networks. Getting a residential strategy for the CBD.
Kumuda Simpson: Transparency and accountability of councillors. A comprehensive climate adaptation plan. Ensuring council's services continue to meet community needs.
2. What would you change about the current council performance?
Belinda Coates: There is a need for all elected councillors to fully understand the role and act with professionalism and integrity at all times. There is a need for continuous improvement and to raise the bar on all governance issues, code of conduct and accountability.
John Dooley: Culture, communication and accountability. Renewal is overdue in all wards.
Mark Harris: Council needs equitable, evidence based policy, with consultation to decide what a problem is and whole community engagement with possible solutions. Limited consultation after the event is bad governance. Council and organisation serve the community as a whole and should respect that.
Geoff Howard: The Ombudsman's report and subsequent reports have identified many problems within council management. As well as changing the management structure to be more effective and transparent, council needs to be more responsive with service provision, more consultative with project proposals and more thorough in assessing project costings and community benefit.
Stephen Jones: Through the new CEO, our elected representatives will need to work through any strategies that may be in place. If not we will need to work on one straight away to improve the workplace environment.
Samantha McIntosh: Until more recently, councillors have operated as a positive and strong team, achieving enormous success in that manner. Leadership, at executive and councillor level, needs be united and collaborative. As a whole council we must resolve issues better, including the understanding and implementation of contract and procurement requirements.
Nick Shady: The next term will be interesting if we have more party political councillors. The issues for the community will become secondary when party policy is introduced for council to implement. If elected, I will be making sure the interests of the community are put first.
Kumuda Simpson: Council needs to improve its community engagement. Too many people feel they don't have a voice. Through continual two-way communication, residents of Ballarat can participate in policy and planning and hold councillors accountable for their decisions.
3. What specific area(s) would you cut council expenditure and where would you increase expenditure?
Belinda Coates: Council is required under the Local Government Act to consult with communities to determine a council plan which sets the parameters for budget and service delivery. I will continue to push for more participatory budgeting, while ensuring adequate budget to address service needs, infrastructure and urgent action on climate change.
John Dooley: There are no specific areas to cut or increase until I can get a full understanding of the downstream effects. It is too fluid a position we are all in to throw out a blanket response.
Mark Harris: Efficiencies can still be delivered in the organisation in my view, even if rates are static. However, COVID may mean we can't afford every service. People understand this is a time to protect core services not grow services. What people hate is the excess of overseas trips and waste.
Geoff Howard: No services should be cut, but all areas of expenditure need to be reviewed to ensure efficiency and value to community. Rates should not be increased and I will advocate for flexible rate payment options. Ratepayers need to know their contributions are being well spent.
Stephen Jones: It would be possible to increase spending on infrastructure, especially on some older footpaths within the Central Ward. Cutting expenditure in the current climate would be unwise while the economy is in recovery mode. We need to look at the big picture and not single items within the current budget.
Samantha McIntosh: Where red tape can create excessive waits for permits and development applications, we must endeavour to cut these wait periods and the real costs of these to the community. As always, investment in the basics is key, roads, paths, potholes. These require greater investment as the city grows.
Nick Shady: Eureka Stadium revenue versus expenses would be an interesting investigation to see the actual current and ongoing cost to the community. For better governance, I would appoint a CEO for a three-year term, with an option, not the usual five, to prevent what we have seen this year.
Kumuda Simpson: Rather than cutting expenditure, I would ensure projects and services to meet all of the community's needs are prioritised, rather than projects that only benefit a few people.This requires clear planning and development of detailed business cases for projects, and transparent decision making.
EXPERIENCE
4 .What is the largest organisation or project you have overseen or managed and its budget?
Belinda Coates: Ballarat Council's annual budget of $200 million plus. Current chair of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance board with a $400,000 plus annual budget. Board member of Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group with a million dollar annual budget. Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company directors from 2013.
John Dooley: The after-market business unit for Robertshaw (an engineering and manufacturing company), with a budget of $6 million.
Mark Harris: I've chaired the Ballarat Art Gallery, run an ADF hospital overseas and been mayor. I am currently the director of a hospital emergency department. They all have had large, some multi million dollar, budgets.
Geoff Howard: As a former councillor, state MP and parliamentary secretary, I have been involved with many multi-million dollar projects. These range from the Fast Rail project and Base Hospital upgrades, to the establishment of Ballarat Tech School and conversions of Golden Point school and Barkly Campus into community focused facilities.
Stephen Jones: I spent seven years on council between 2000 and 2008. I ran a plumbing business for 35 years and managed Mt Xavier Golf and Bowls Club for almost seven years.
Samantha McIntosh: My family's purchase, redevelopment and creation of the historic Nieder Weisel property in Webster Street, into a heritage tourism/hospitality business which I managed and delivered from inception. As the marketing manager of St John of God Pathology East, I oversaw major efficiencies, changes and refinements to the business.
Nick Shady: I was a board director of Beaufort Community Bank, which had $110 million in footings.
Kumuda Simpson: I have managed large teams of people in my academic teaching career and I am currently the project lead on a significant natural resource management project.
5. What do you count as your most significant achievement?
Belinda Coates: Spearheading the Ballarat Council Carbon Neutrality and 100% Renewables target for 2025 and action plan. I eventually garnered unanimous council support for this change in direction towards prioritising climate action. This provides a sound policy basis to build budget priority across the organisation and work towards a zero-net city wide target.
John Dooley: Repairing relationships with major accounts in Australia and New Zealand in my sales role to deliver for both parties.
Mark Harris: My most significant achievement is the successful management of organisations I've worked with. This year helping with the medical response to Flemington Towers and Epping Gardens Covid emergencies was most rewarding.
Geoff Howard: As a member for Ballarat East and Buninyong, I gained satisfaction working to see Ballarat Hospital upgraded along with over 40 schools, many sporting facilities, libraries and other community assets. I consider however that the occasions where I assisted individuals with housing and other personal issues were of equal importance.
Stephen Jones: To see some of the strategies from Blueprint, a major document on how Ballarat might look in 25 years, come to fruition is really heartwarming. Engaging with Brown Hill people and the empowerment they felt when we were able to reopen the pool 14 years ago.
Samantha McIntosh: My family is my proudest achievement. As an inaugural member establishing My Room, children's cancer room at the Royal Children's Hospital, I secured $1.2 million to get Tattersalls to match it. My Room is still operating. My son Casey, who was receiving oncology treatment there, believed it was "his room".
Nick Shady: My volunteer roles in positive mental health promotion, my work with Recreation Reserves as a project manager, setting up community reinvestment collaboration with the community bank and the wind farm at Beaufort. Negotiating the purchase of two new community buses for the Beaufort Skipton Health Services.
Kumuda Simpson: Completing my PhD and publishing a book on the history of US/Iran nuclear politics. I did both while being the primary carer for my daughter who was under the age of six. This required immense discipline and excellent time management skills.
6. What do you feel you would bring to council personally?
Belinda Coates: I'm a qualified social worker who is diligent, committed and community focussed. I have a proven track record of achieving significant change for community benefit, as a consistent and persistent advocate for social and environmental well being. I'm an experienced councillor and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
John Dooley: Communication to and from our stakeholders. Small business owners and sole traders can expect me to be approachable and will have face to face interactions with me on council.
Mark Harris: I'll just bring straightforward and non-political common sense.
Geoff Howard: As well as bringing experience gained through my previous civic roles my background as a science teacher, I bring commitment and a genuine enjoyment in working with people.
Stephen Jones: Life experiences have allowed me to gain knowledge and the realisation that there is always another way. I think finding away out from Covid will be one of the greatest challenges we will ever face. It may be that we'll have to learn to live with it. (48)
Samantha McIntosh:Having worked in private business and on council, I bring an understanding of how these sectors best work together. I listen to the community and bring issues to attention. I am a strong and respectful individual, work well in a team and work hard to get projects done.
Nick Shady: My ability to assess projects and understand the scope and critical issues that are presented. My financial ability to read budgets. My fairness and honesty.
Kumuda Simpson: A commitment to putting working people and those most vulnerable in our community at the heart of policy and planning. I bring a strong ethical and moral commitment to transparency and openness in all I do, and to social justice.
COMMITMENT/MOTIVATION
7. How many hours per week can you guarantee to the role of councillor?
Belinda Coates: As many as required. I have taken my commitment to the role very seriously and have primarily been a full-time councillor for most of my 8 years on council. I am able to undertake sessional or consultancy work around my councillor commitments.
John Dooley: 30 hours.
Mark Harris: I'll give all it needs which is at least 30 hours. I don't believe council is served well by professional politicians however and will keep my job.
Geoff Howard: As a retiree I have plenty of time to commit to the formal role of being a councillor as well as continuing with my ongoing community involvement which will help me keep attuned with many community issues. This could take up more than 40 hours in some weeks.
Stephen Jones: Whatever it takes, last time I was on council 60 to 80 hours a week was the norm as mayor.
Samantha McIntosh:As Mayor, I worked seven days a week, often starting very early and finishing very late across the week. As a councillor I have, and will, do whatever is required to undertake the role fully. A democratically elected position is not a part-time role, it requires constant vigilance to community.(
Nick Shady: 20-30 hours as required.
Kumuda Simpson: I am committed to a minimum of 15-20 per week and will commit more time as it is needed at busier times of the year.
SUPPORT/AFFILIATION
8. Are you or have you ever been a member of any political party or advocacy group and what kind of support are you getting in your campaign?
Belinda Coates: I'm endorsed as a Greens candidate and was first elected in 2012 as Ballarat's first Greens councillor. Endorsed candidates receive some assistance from the Victorian Greens. The main support for my campaign is via our local branch which has held grassroots community fundraisers and provided volunteers.
John Dooley: I am a member of the Liberal Party, which gives no financial support but plenty of real motivation and care for the cause. I also belong to the Ballarat Ratepayers Group, which gives no financial support.
Mark Harris: I am not in a party, I am self funded and receive no donations but plenty of unpaid help from friends and family and community. Big thanks to them!
Geoff Howard: I am a member of the Labor Party. The Party is not providing any financial support to my campaign. Most of my campaign costs are being covered from my pocket with less than 20% coming as donations from Ballarat friends. Friends and supporters have assisted with letterboxing and other tasks.
Stephen Jones: No, I have never been a member of any political party. The only support at the moment is from my family.
Samantha McIntosh:I am a member of the Liberal Party. I am operating my election campaign independently without political endorsement or financial support.
Nick Shady: I have previously been a financial member of the Liberal party, I resigned my membership in 2018. I am self-funding my campaign.
Kumuda Simpson: I'm a member of the Labor Party and I'm running as a Labor endorsed candidate. I have received some support in graphic design for campaign materials and campaigning advice. Labor members in Ballarat have volunteered on my campaign. My campaign is self funded as well as some donations from friends and family.
BACKGROUND
9. What community organisations do you currently belong to?
Belinda Coates: I have a long list of community organisations and groups that I'm connected to across areas such as environment, local food growing, arts, cultural and social wellbeing sectors. I have chaired multiple community focused committees on Council including; Disability Advisory, Child Friendly, Intercultural Advisory, Koorie Engagement, Clean Ballarat.
John Dooley: I attend all services related to our veterans. I participate in car club charity events.
Mark Harris: Art gallery life member and member of other arts groups. Member of Arch of Victory / Avenue of Honour committee. In past Ballarat Health Services Board member and long time medical reservist in ADF.
Geoff Howard:I am a member of Ballarat U3A, Ballarat Bushwalking and Outdoor Club, Ballarat Field Naturalists, Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council, Buninyong Landscape Alliance and Mt Bolton-Beckworth Landcare Group. I also volunteer with Big Brother Big Sister and L2P, mentoring young people and helping them get their drivers licence.
Stephen Jones: I'm a long time member of Mt Xavier Golf and Bowls Club and a committee member of the Eureka Stockade Memorial Park Inc. who run the Eureka Stockade Holiday Park.
Samantha McIntosh:I have been a member of the Ballarat Rotary Club for many years, also the Tann Clan - a Ballarat institution inspired by the wonderful Richard Tann. The greatest community organisation is family - and I am a busy mum and grandmother. I support many organisations without holding direct membership.
Nick Shady: Beaufort & Skipton Health Service Foundation. Skipton Recreation Reserve. Stockyard Hill Windfarm Community Consultation Committee. Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance.
Kumuda Simpson: I'm a member of the Victorian Executive of the Labor Environment Action Network. I have also done some volunteer research for the Australian Conservation Foundation.
10. What do you like to do outside of your normal working life?
Belinda Coates: When I have the time, I love gardening, bushwalking and camping. I walk and cycle most days and also enjoy swimming and yoga. I also love arts and culture, live music, film, amateur photography, cooking and eating out.
John Dooley: Renovating our home in Soldiers Hill. I attend car shows and festivals based around classic cars and American pop culture.
Mark Harris: I love my work in Emergency Department and spend too much time there and committee work but love bike riding to work, walking with my wife and running slowly when I'm intermittently fit (ish).
Geoff Howard: I mostly enjoy being outdoors, either working on my small farm property near Waubra or gardening, bush walking or cycling. I also enjoy cooking, reading and listening to music as well as spending time with my teenage children, broader family and with friends.
Stephen Jones: Outside work I'm into lawn bowls, following the Western Bulldogs and really enjoy family get-togethers and above all my wife and I love looking after our grandchildren.
Samantha McIntosh: I cherish pottering in my garden, running with friends, enjoying local assets including the lake, art gallery and restaurants. I love to paint, play the piano, visit my family's farm and travelling the countryside on our motorbike - with Greg at the controls! Above all, I love being with my family.
Nick Shady: I enjoy travelling (when permitted) as well as spending time with my family. I have an active eight year old that enjoys kicking the football, swimming and golf.
I have also been shopping for my parents since March as they live on a farm. Keeping up the wood supply, walking and watching sports.
Kumuda Simpson: The most important thing to me is spending time with our extended family. I am also an amateur nature/bird photographer and bushwalker.
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