By BRIDGET COOK
THE former league footballer side of Geoff Ablett came out on Monday night when he was elected as the City of Casey mayor for the next year.
Following his unanimous appointment to the top job at a special council meeting, Cr Ablett called on his team and fellow councillors to take a leaf out of Hawthorn’s book for the next year.
Like Hawthorn, he said, he wanted the council to follow the values of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice as they headed into the next year.
“We want to ensure we always stay true to our values and ethics,” he said.
“Organisations like ours can come under pressure, and we will come under pressure. But it’s how we maintain those values and the way we work together under pressure that will define us.
“I will work with my fellow councillors to build a bright and prosperous future for Casey and work to ensure council remains united.
“Together, we will deliver quality services, develop necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of our rapidly growing population, build a strong local economy, a sustainable environment and continue to advocate on behalf of our residents.”
It is the second time Cr Ablett has taken on the mayoralty position, having also been mayor in the 2008 to 2009 term, which was marred by the death of his son Ryan.
“That was the year my son passed away,” he said.
“It was a pretty rough year, and I’m looking forward to having a more enjoyable year this time around.
“His death will give me a real focus.
“After a loss like that, you need a real focus and to do something really good for the community will be mine.
“I’m hoping that this year will be a good smooth year and we do a lot of good things together.”
Cr Ablett said his main priorities during his term would be creating more jobs locally, preserving prime agricultural land and supporting community groups and sporting clubs.
“During my mayoral year, I will be working to preserve Casey’s agricultural land and to support and progress our strong agricultural businesses, ensuring farmers in our rural areas thrive alongside residential growth,” he said.
“Through the Casey Cardinia partnership, I will seek opportunities to stimulate local employment opportunities and encourage businesses to set up shop in the region, providing local jobs for local people.
“Community service and sporting clubs are the backbone of our community, and I look forward to working with these clubs closely and advocating on their behalf.”
Outgoing mayor Amanda Stapledon was elected as deputy mayor, councillor Damien Rosario was appointed chairperson of the Planning Committee and councillor Susan Serey was appointed as chairperson of the General Purposes Committee.
