In it for the Long haul

By Lia Bichel
A GREATER Dandenong councillor said her passion for travelling has given her the knowledge and skills to better understand the needs of a multicultural community.
Cr Angela Long said she began travelling after she married her husband Barry 42 years ago, and has learned valuable lessons from every trip.
And while the excursions can be pricey, Cr Long said she happily forked out thousands of dollars from her own pocket to travel for personal or council reasons, whether interstate or overseas.
Her comments come six weeks after an article in the Star highlighted councillor expense claims in the last financial year (Star, 22 July).
“Barry and I both love travelling – we have been to 46 countries – and I learn from them,” she said.
“Having been to third-world countries, you take away an appreciation of what we take for granted. We take for granted just having clean water to drink.
“It gives me the knowledge about many different cultures which I can take back to multi-cultural community. It has helped me to build on relationships with the ethnic community and local indigenous people. It is good because we can work together for any concerns they have.”
Their first trip was to New Zealand in 1979 with their two children, Kevin and Joanne.
In 1992, she and Barry travelled to 27 countries in six months. In 2007, they travelled to 29 countries in four and a half months. They also spent 35 days travelling to seven different African countries.
Now Cr Angela Long is preparing for her eighth trip to the city’s Sister City Xuzhou, China, in October, which she said has helped strengthen the relationship of the communities and provided her with insight about life overseas.
Cr Long said she paid forthe trips from her own pocket,and only once received a freetrip to the sister city when she served as mayor for the City of Greater Dandenong.
“We (Angela and her husband Barry) have spent over $40,000 of our money – but I am quite happy to spend the money to keep going,” she said.
“We have been going even when I didn’t serve as councillor or mayor.”
Before meeting Mayor Jim Memeti in China, she will travel with Barry to Europe, Scotland, Holland, Germany and Russia.
Cr Long said being part of a number of organisations and charities across the state have also helped her to build on relationships with the surrounding community.
“I want to do this because I am passionate about the city,” she said.
“ I love the diversity about it and I love helping people and I think that is part of our role (as councillors).”
And she said though Barry accompanies her to some events, she would not accept the recently implemented $300 to cover partner’s expenses.