OPINION – JASON SHIELDS
Our re-emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic requires strong leadership and vision across multiple sectors, starting with our local council.
Mildura isn’t the only regional centre that has been left with many vacant shop fronts after a retail slump and almost two years of lockdowns and crippling restrictions.
So there’s no point wallowing in what’s been lost – how do we go about reinvigorating the place?
As a owner of multiple CBD businesses, and as a newly elected mayor, Cr Wood appears a natural fit to drive some of these conversations.
And his relative inexperience in politics may even work to his advantage in what could be a very exciting year ahead.
This council has to forget any division and egotistical nonsense (that the public doesn’t care about) and remind itself of the crucial role it could play for this region … if it truly works together.
Cr Wood’s predecessor Jason Modica has started the ball rolling by painting a picture of optimism in recent months, starting with the opening of our new sporting precinct and other game-changing announcements including the Powerhouse precinct redevelopment.
Cr Modica has been inside the town hall for the past year, building relationships with key decision makers, and will be a great sounding board for the new mayor.
Cr Wood also has Mark Eckel and Glenn Milne as former mayors he can lean on for advice, as well as Helen Healy, who has been deputy mayor. And this is far from Stefano de Pieri’s first dance in politics, whether it be at state or local level.
The new deputy mayor is Cyndi Power, another emerging leader with minimal political experience who can cash in on that wealth of experience around her.
Cr Wood defeated Cr Modica 5-4 in the election vote, but that’s politics, and all nine councillors must now put that result aside and unite for the sake of their community.
The best leaders are those who are able to drive a culture of mutual respect.
If Cr Wood can achieve that, he can quickly forget the politics and really get on with the job.
Mildura’s council is quite a mix. There are three former mayors, one who sits on the right of politics and two on the left, a woman who is a strong advocate for gender equality, a celebrity cook, a Werrimull farmer, two local women with business backgrounds and now a pub and nightclub boss as the new mayor.
But diversity of opinions and personalities is a good thing.
Fortunately, it seems Cr Wood sees this as the council’s strength and not its weakness.
And, in a promising sign, he wants to continue opening up the lines of communication between the community and council.
“I think approachability is the biggest thing,” the new mayor says in an extensive interview with Allan Murphy today.
“Our communication skills can always be better between community and council and that’s where the approachability comes to it, too.
“We’ve got 55,000 people here now, and growing exponentially, and a lot of them are ratepayers or customers, but we’ve technically got 55,000 shareholders and they need to feel a part of the machine.
“I think we can listen better, I think we can react quicker and there’s always room to work harder.”
It’s a big year ahead for Mildura. We wish Cr Wood and his team well.
