Meet our new Mayor
South West Ward Councillor Neil Trotter was elected Mayor in November 2018.
It is a great privilege to be elected Mayor of Corangamite Shire Council.
I’m excited by the challenge of leading the Council for the next 12 months and I’m grateful to my fellow Councillors for showing faith in me.
Corangamite Shire has an excellent culture of cooperation between Councillors to ensure efficient decision making and responsible financial management. I believe that communities are best represented when Councillors work together to form a cohesive and formidable team. We are looking forward to getting on with business and working together to provide the services, support and advocacy our communities deserve. Together, we can deliver a strong message to other levels of government.
This Council remains committed to its priorities: roads, mobile coverage blackspots, Twelve Apostles Trail, Glenample Visitor Centre, Shipwreck Coast Master Plan and roadside vegetation management.
We will continue to advocate strongly for the State Government’s degraded road network to be brought up to a standard that improves the safety of our residents and visitors, as well as keeping our dairy tankers and other industry related heavy freight vehicles economically viable.
I want to thank Cr Jo Beard for her dedication as Mayor over the past three years. Jo showed great leadership following the St Patrick’s Day fires and as our spokesperson to State and Federal Governments on issues such as roads funding and the Shipwreck Coast Master Plan. Her genuine commitment to our communities has always been reflected in her actions and she will continue to be a valued member of Council.
I also want to congratulate Cr Ruth Gstrein on her appointment as Deputy Mayor. Ruth has served three terms as Mayor and will be a great support to me in my new role.
It has been a tough year for many in our fire-affected communities. The volunteer-based organisation BlazeAid (which has been a vital part of recovery efforts since day one) is on track to finish up recovery works before Christmas. In many ways, BlazeAid’s departure is an important milestone.
While there will be mixed feelings, it’s healthy to move forward into a new phase of recovery in the New Year. I want to thank BlazeAid (and everyone who supported BlazeAid) for helping those affected get back on their feet.
Mayor Neil Trotter