Fresh faces to lead Mitchell Shire Council

Mitchell Shire Council is under new leadership following councillor Louise Bannister’s election as mayor and councillor Nathan Clark to deputy mayor.

Cr David Lowe was the only other candidate nominated for both positions however, lost in a councillor vote.

Cr Fiona Stevens did not seek re-election after serving one term as mayor.

Both Crs Bannister and Clark are elected representatives in the central ward.

After growing up on a farm near Seymour, Cr Bannister graduated from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Media and Communications and has a Master of Applied Linguistics.

She has lived in Mitchell Shire for almost 10 years with her partner Patrick and son Hamish.

Cr Bannister said she valued research and evidence-based approaches and was keen to work with the community to advocate for much-needed infrastructure and services in Mitchell Shire.

“I would like to congratulate Cr Fiona Stevens on her term as Mitchell Shire mayor in 2022-2023,” she said.

“I want to thank my fellow councillors for their support. I look forward to supporting them in advocating and being a voice for their communities.

“It is our last year of this council term and I hope we can embrace innovative thinking and work together as a team to lead Mitchell Shire to a better place than it was when we started.”

Cr Bannister said she hoped to encourage more people to consider standing for election in local government.

“I want to take this opportunity to show people that you can be an advocate and a voice for your community along with the other important aspects of your life,” she said.

“Our council needs to reflect the diverse nature of our communities. More ideas mean better outcomes for Mitchell Shire.”

Cr Clark said he was particularly concerned with the liveability of communities as they transformed through growth, wanting to ensure existing lifestyles were preserved as best as possible, new communities thrived, and wealth generated from rezoning benefits existing and future residents.

He said he was also passionate about Kilmore’s history and dealing with the impact of heavy vehicles on the main street, understanding it took the coordinated and committed efforts of many tiers of government to effect change.

“In the final year of the council term, I hope to encourage a greater appetite for risk in the organisation,” he said.

“There are many opportunities to be explored and I look forward to speaking to and hearing from the community about them.

“I will also spend the year ahead encouraging high quality candidates to come forward and represent Mitchell at the next election.

“High quality councillors should come from a range of backgrounds and passionately contribute to and oversee the successful implementation of the council plan.”

Cr Clark lives in Kilmore with his wife and two daughters. He has a background in computer science and telecommunications, and holds an Executive Masters of Business Administration and Master of Commerce.

Cr Stevens congratulated Cr Bannister and Cr Clark and thanked fellow councillors for their support during her mayoral term.

“Thank you for allowing me to serve as mayor and be a part of Mitchell Shire’s remarkable journey toward a brighter tomorrow,” she said.

“I must acknowledge the dedication of my fellow councillors and council staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the year.

“Together we’ve shaped strategic documents, engaged the community, and improved our emergency preparedness.

“Your commitment has been the driving force behind our accomplishments.”