By Ethan Benedicto
Councillors for the City of Casey have been officially declared at Bunjil Place on Friday 8 November, with Melinda Ambros and Stefan Koomen taking the reins in Kalora and Waratah wards respectively, .
As Kalora’s elected councillor was called onto stage, Ambros took the time to address and thank the local community for choosing her as their representative, and that “it’s fantastic that we have representation, it’s a long time coming”.
“It’s unfortunate that some people didn’t make it through but their presence will be seen in the community and that is what we need, we need to work together to bring back our council.
”I was hopeful at the beginning of this journey and it’s great to see in the end that I’m here, I couldn’t have done it without my family, my friends, my community and the residents, they brought me where I am today.”
While further steps still need to be taken such as councillor induction, Ambros said that there are some “good, key services that need to be tended to”, as well as further emphasis to address the safety concerns in Endeavour Hills in relevance to recent events.
As an independent, Ambros stressed the importance of core local services “that run our community”, and that it needs the representation of “someone that runs (for) our community”.
“That understands what matters, not just for the ward but collectively for the whole council.
“Even while, yes, people feel that [party politics] presence, it’s how the community and the council will get things done that really matter to the people,” she said.
Although he was away on vacation with family, Koomen had sent through a letter which was read out during Waratah Ward’s announcement.
In the letter he said that he was “honoured to be elected” as the new councillor for Waratah, and he too expressed his gratitude for the “overwhelming support” from the residents and community.
“It’s truly humbling to be the first person in the area of Waratah in over 30 years to be elected to represent our community.
“I look forward to hitting the ground running next week and working with all the successful candidates to make Casey an even better place for residents,” he said.
In the following weeks, Casey’s mayor is to be decided amongst the candidates, with Ambros saying that a collective group analysis is crucial when it comes to deciding on who should be undertaking such a critical role.
When asked if she would be aiming for mayor, she said “we’ll see what happens”, and that it remains up to the group and her mentioned study of who is most fit for the role.
“With that responsibility, the person that will lead and be the mayor, we want them to be that proper representation so that residents will feel comfortable coming to them and the other councillors.
“But also making sure that the matters and issues get resolved and get done; and it’s also about we get our feet taking the right steps and going in the right direction, bring back our council to the residents.
”If it is going to be me, it will be an honour and a privilege, but at the end of the day there are 12 of us and whoever it is I’m going to support,” she said.
