After months of campaigning, and a somewhat unusual postal vote, the seven councillors who will represent Benalla Rural City for the next four years have been chosen.
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They are returning councillors Peter Davis, Danny Claridge, Bernie Hearn and Don Firth; former councillor Justin King; and newly elected councillors Gail O'Brien and Punarji Hewa Gunaratne.
The seven will officially be sworn in next week with Benalla Rural City chief executive officer Dom Testoni due to call a meeting where the mayor will also be elected and councillors will join the various committees within council.
Benalla Rural City saw 84.66 per cent of the registered 11,755 voters cast a ballot.
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Councillors Peter Davis (15.35 per cent) and Danny Claridge (14.93 per cent) dominated the first-preference voting with returning councillor Justin king (14.57 per cent).
First-preference voting saw Bernie Hearn (9.35 per cent), Gail O'Brien (9.05 per cent), Punarji Hewa Gunaratne (7.35 per cent) and Vincent Branigan (6.83 per cent) making up numbers four to seven respectively.
However, once all the preferences had been tallied a strong showing by incumbent councillor Don Firth saw him leapfrog Mr Branigan, taking the seventh seat.
Cr Davis said he was pleased the ratepayers of Benalla Rural City had supported him again.
“I will not disappoint them,” Cr Davis said.
“It’s good to see new councillors come into the fold, but it's also good to have some experience.
“The first thing we have to do is get our 10-year plan into fruition and get that bedded down.
“Then we will work out what's going to happen, that includes some very serious, costly drainage works in Benalla and some continued landfill issues.
“We've got to be very visionary on some of the decisions we make.”
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Cr Claridge, who has been in the mayor's seat for the past 12 months, said it was a relief the campaigning was over and it was time to move ahead with the new council.
“We need to sit down with all the new and returning councillors and have a discussion,” Cr Claridge said.
“It's important we all get on the same page and work together as a team.
“In the previous council we had many robust discussions, but at the end of the day we all agreed that what the council decision is, that is what we'd stick to.
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“You don’t always agree, but that is the way you need to be perceived - as a unified council.
“I'd like to thank everyone who had the trust in me to vote for me to run again, and I'm sure that this new council will be just as successful as the previous one and keep Benalla moving in the right direction.”
While technically a new candidate, Cr King is a former Benalla Rural City councillor and mayor.
“It’s exciting, I'm excited to be ready to go again and I think the last four years have given me a clear reflection and helped to put together my mandate for the next four years,” Cr King said.
“I'm pumped up and ready to get into it.
“I look at the people who voted, who have made their decisions, and now its all about getting to work for them and representing them the best I can.
“Throughout the campaign I was unable to really engage with community due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
“But to see those results coming in was very reassuring that people were wanting to see me back in council.
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“I think it was a credit to their engagement with me on the platforms I developed.
“What I stand for is what the community have asked of me.
“That was noted in the campaign and the outcome was based on.
“Next up we'll be getting the councillors sworn in, then we will appoint a mayor and deputy mayor.
“Then we will start working on the council plan, which will set the direction of council for the next four years.
“That is when we can get together and talk to many of the key stakeholders about where we go for the next four years.
“I will work with my new councillors to forward my priorities, and I will work with them and their priorities and hopefully we’ll have a very united council.
“I'd like to thank the community first and foremost for their confidence in me and returning me back to council.
“I can't thank them enough for their support and for their permission to return, and I hope to do well for them over the next four years.
“I'd like to acknowledge all the candidates in this election.
“It was a challenging one, but I acknowledge everyone's commitment throughout the campaign.
“And of course I need to thank my wife and kids for allowing me to do this.”
Cr Hearn said she was excited to be returned to council.
“I am extremely pleased that the community thought I deserved to represent them again for another four years,” Cr Hearn said.
“I hope I can do a good job for them.
“It was a close race. They were showing us how the first-preference voting was going.
“I was sitting in fourth from the first email, but it is difficult to predict the result.
“As you could see Don (Firth) was sitting a little bit lower, but once the preferences came in he jumped up.”
Cr Hearn said it was now time to get to work.
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“As I said when I was up for re-election there's a few things that are unfinished that Id like to focus on,” she said.
“We need to sort out where we're at with those, and what our priorities are.
“But I do know that the gutters, drains, roads and footpaths are huge things that cost a lot of money, but they are things we need to look at sooner rather than later.
“I'd like to thank the wonderful Benalla community for your confidence in re-electing me for a further four years.
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“Thanks to all the candidate for a competitive campaign.
“Congratulations to all the elected councillors. I look forward to working with you all.”
One of the new faces on council Cr O'Brien said she was nervous watching the numbers come in and was pleased to be elected.
“I was coming fifth the whole way through,” Cr O'Brien said.
“Bernie and I were neck and neck.
“I think I was ahead for a time, then she took the lead and we maintained fourth and fifth.
“Yesterday (Thursday, November 5) when I went in for the 10 am ‘pushing of the button’ I was very hopeful.
“But knowing that once they counted the preferences anything could happen it was great to see I came in fifth.
“I am absolutely super-excited about being elected.”
Cr O'Brien said while some of her priorities evolved during the course of the election, she would now work towards achieving what she had promised the community.
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“So my intention is to make sure that I am still guided by those priorities,” she said.
“They are the reason people voted for me.
“You have to be unified in council, but I will continue to be guided by my original priorities and those that have come up after talking to the community.
“The community were pretty honest with what they felt was important to them and the things they would like to see.
“We live in a great part of the world, we've got a great community, which is becoming more and more diverse, which is terrific.
“There's lots to do and just to be able to be part of helping Benalla grow a little bit, in many ways, for the next four years is a complete honour. It's fabulous.”
The second brand-new face on council is Punarji Hewa Gunaratne who said he was feeling proud to have been elected.
“I feel very positive for Benalla and its future,” he said.
“Especially looking at my background and the length of time I've spent here, and the connections and relations I've built - It's great that the people of Benalla have elected me to council.
“I thank everyone who has supported me throughout my campaign.
“There were a lot of community groups and individuals who put up their hands to support me.
“And I am thankful to the people who voted for me.
“I want to make sure I make them proud for their decision over the next four years.”
Don Firth has been contacted for comment.
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