Queanbeyan-Palerang council to get a 'refresh' in local elections

The current council held its final meeting on Wednesday night ahead of the poll.

Six of the current 11 councillors, including long-standing mayor Tim Overall, have decided not to contest the elections. A seventh councillor, Peter Bray, passed away in August last year.

Those councillors not seeking re-election are Mr Overall, Brian Brown, Peter Marshall, Pete Harrison, Radmila Noveska and Trudy Taylor.

More than 70 candidates have put their hand up for the December 4 poll.

Some are tipping only Kenrick Winchester and current deputy mayor Michele Biscotti will be re-elected onto the new-look council, and both will be contenders for mayor.

Brian Brown has sat on the council, including its predecessor, Queanbeyan City Council, since 2012.

He has been a Labor representative, but says he can achieve more outside the chamber, in areas such as local sport, mental health and education.

Mr Brown, who is also chair of the Canberra Community Bank Group, said he would be focusing on supporting groups such as Menslink in his post-council life.

"My focus is on doing good things in the community without getting too involved in the political side of things," he said.

A former editor of The Queanbeyan Age, Trudy Taylor was elected to the council in 2008 as a running mate to Mr Overall.

She has decided to step away from politics to spend more time with her husband Shane and their children Leslie, seven, and Damon, six, who they adopted while she was on the council after fostering the boys from newborns.

"They're now at an age where they need at least one parent at home to start the night-time routine after school. This is the main reason I chose to step away from council for the time being," she said.

Mrs Taylor said she was proud of the progress Queanbeyan had made on projects such as the Crawford Street redevelopment and Queen Elizabeth Park revamp.

"There'll always be regrets, and I think you can always do things better," she said.

"I'm disappointed we still don't have a cinema in Queanbeyan. In 2015 we were so close you could almost smell the popcorn. It had been one of our election promises. Council had been in discussion with a cinema provider to construct and operate the cinema on the old nursery site in Morisset Street.

"At the 11th hour it was blocked by some councillors, who'd decided they didn't like the location. They tried to suggest other sites, but nothing every amounted from their suggestions.

"As a councillor you need to make tough decision sometimes, that won't always be popular with everyone. Living in a small community, sometimes those decisions will affect people you know.

"No matter what the decision I've always acted with integrity and the greater community in mind. It's a shame some people no longer talk to me because of that."

READ MORE:

The councillors will vote for the new mayor at the first council meeting in January. Mr Winchester, 38, is expected to be a strong contender. He is running with a a group of nine independent candidates, including butcher Peter Lindbeck and "Victor the Viking" Raiders mascot Tony Wood.

Mr Winchester said he was hopeful of getting at least two of his candidates on the council, with Bungendore's Edwina Webster the likely second. Mr Winchester said he was a member of the Labor Party but was standing for the council as an independent. "I don't have to answer to anyone," he said.

Other candidates expected to be elected include Labor's Bryce Wilson, who is a staffer for Bean Labor MP David Smith, and Katrina Willis from the Greens.

Mr Winchester said the mayoral race was hard to predict without Mr Overall, who was on the council for 17 years. He wanted a new-look council.

"It's a great opportunity for the whole council area. The council needs a refresh," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: