CANDIDATE THOMAS CAMPBELL: (no video)
10 QUESTIONS FROM THE TERRIER:
What three main skills could you bring to the Warrnambool City Council as a councillor?
Project Management – previously worked in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in a project overlaying government services for vulnerable youth.
In-depth critical/analytical skills – having worked in administrative positions for most of my career, I’m confident in understanding business methods and analysing budgets.
Commitment to the tenets of democratic processes.
Do you see any particular issues, projects or problems in Warrnambool that would like to work on as a councillor?
Project or problem: Addressing homelessness.
Issue/Problem: Council accountability to the community.
The three S’s. Sustainability, Safety & Stability.
Do you think the council could be more “open” with residents and if so, how?
Yes. By providing a greater opportunity for residents to speak on council agenda items.
A greater breakdown of council expenses (line-by-line).
Ongoing live-streaming of council meeting post-Covid.
More opportunities for the public to meet with Councillors in a formal meeting setting, in various places around the Council area.
The next 12 months is going to be challenging due to the impact of Covid-19 – do you have one or two key idea/s for how WCC could support residents and/or businesses?
Grants to develop online services
Review financial hardship policy
Suspending fees for permits (such as outdoor dining)
Renewing the card collection system they had post-Liebig-Street-redevelopment.
Do you have any ideas on where the council could cut costs, if necessary, to keep rates at the state cap?
Working in partnership with surrounding Councils to lower infrastructure costs (medium term strategy)
Stronger advocacy to State and Federal governments, who have consistently decreased availability of funding to local Councils. An ongoing commitment is required.
Projection of future asset management costs. Understanding that delaying funding on the management of assets can cause greater expenditure at a later date – this is a long term strategy.
Reviewing all Council expenditure line-by-line under a new Council – this is a short term strategy.
Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences?
I will be putting together a list of preferences. It will be based on who I believe is best placed to plan and advocate for our region’s future.
The record of current Councillors must be taken into account. The beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and vision of new candidates must be taken into account. Whether they are current or new will not be the sole factor when deciding on preferences. (Note: You can see a low-res version of Thomas’s preferences at the end of these questions. The high-res version is coming!)
If you were elected, what ways – if any – would you keep residents and ratepayers informed as an individual councillor?
Ongoing communication with local news sources (The Terrier, The Standard, ABC radio, Council newsletter).
Engaging via social media.
Sharing a publicly available email and contact number for direct community engagement.
If you were elected, what would you have liked to have achieved at the end of your four-year term?
Measurable items:
A roadmap to end homelessness in our region (which is also progressing and transferable to surrounding councils);
A pathway to going beyond 100% renewable energy for our region;
Greater overall community engagement in Council related business.
Are you a member of any political party?
I am a member of the Greens political party. I will continue to be so long as the values of the party remain consistent.
I have stood as a Greens candidate in previous State and Federal elections. I believe it’s important to say that if elected as a Councillor, you are making a four-year commitment to that role, you should not attempt to run for another election during those four years.
In the past two years, have you been a member of any local club, organisation or association?
I am currently a member of the City Memorial Bowls Club and need to renew my membership at the F Project.
Closing thoughts or ask and answer your own question here:
Council elections come only once every four years. It is impossible to predict what circumstances may arise over that time (no one could’ve predicted what 2020 has brought!). It is important to listen to how candidates lay out their vision for Warrnambool Council’s future, but most important is supporting someone who has strong values and principles – and will stand by them.
You can find Thomas’s candidate Facebook page here.
