By Cam Lucadou-Wells
EDRINGTON WARD
Voters in Berwick, Beaconsfield and Clyde North should have received ballot papers for Edrington Ward in the 2016 Casey Council elections.
Seven of the 10 candidates were organised, diligent and committed enough to respond to Star News’s survey, most within a 24-hour deadline.
Survey respondents: Ray Perera, Susan Serey, Anthony Dissanayake, Timothy Jackson, James Williams, Riley Baird, Mick Morland
No reply: Glenn Kruithoff, Russell Larkins, Sandra Prvulj
JAMES WILLIAMS
What ward/municipality do you live in: Edrington
Political party membership: None
Place of Worship: I worship my three kids and my wife.
Campaign sponsors and donors: None
Campaign cost/budget: Unsure, still campaigning
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Will focus on youth crime, public safety, sporting and recreational facilities, family and senior services. Promote integrity and transparency within Casey Council.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Prioritising expenditure, reviewing and scrutinising expenditure, as well as making all areas accountable for diligent budget management.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: The symbolism I believe is of good intent, however action is better.
Law-and-order solutions: Often disorder in the community is the result of many factors requiring solutions directed at prevention rather than the consequences of the disorder. I am a big believer in having local police work closely with young adults to build a relationship prior to them starting to offend. Council maintaining a close relationship and planning strategies with police is essential.
TIMOTHY JACKSON
What ward/municipality do you live in: Edrington.
Political party membership: Independent
Place of Worship: N/A
Campaign sponsors and donors: Myself, close friends and family.
Campaign cost/budget: My budget is small and instead of flashy advertisements around town I am focussing my time and effort on ensuring that my team of volunteers and I are out in the local community talking with residents to understand what matters to them.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council:
• Taking the politics out of local government by making sure council gets on with the job that residents expect us to do.
• Preventing crime in our community by investing in CCTV and adequately supporting community groups and sporting clubs to keep our kids off the streets.
• Stopping the waste of council funds on things like council’s new $125 million office complex at Bunjil Place.
Three ways to make council budget savings:
• Reduced spending on large projects that could be delivered in a more cost effective manner.
• Stopping the waste on council dinners and overseas junkets.
• Ensuring the council is operating within its means as every ratepayer and family does.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Casey residents deserve practical solutions to our rising crime like CCTV cameras and crime prevention programs, not half-baked political stunts.
Law-and-order solutions: Making sure that council works hand in hand with the local police and the State Government to ensure our police are properly funded and have all the support they need.
• A greater rollout of CCTV cameras in our town centres
• More investment in local community initiatives such as young offender programs, so that when the offenders return to our community they simply do not go back and commit more crimes.
RILEY BAIRD
What ward/municipality do you live in: Live near the border of my ward. Edrington because that is where I have worked, gone to school and grown up in.
Political party membership: The Greens, will remain independent while on council.
Place of Worship: Religion is a private matter and I choose to worship at home.
Campaign sponsors and donors: Self-funded, with volunteers handing our flyers and doorknocking. The Greens have provided some materials.
Campaign cost/budget: Estimated $700. My main expenses were flyers, campaign signs and business cards.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council:
More regulation of pokies machines – Casey has the second highest gambling losses in Victoria, but has done little to stop this.
Protecting our green spaces from inappropriate development and ensuring better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
Lobbying for greater police presence in Casey.
Three ways to make council budget savings:
If councillors want to travel outside Victoria, they should pay for it themselves.
Transitioning to renewable energy would save millions of dollars in energy costs.
Council shouldn’t spend money on things no-one wants.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Putting the flag at half-mast won’t make Casey any safer. We need councillors who will take action to stop crime, instead of just talking about it, and that’s what I plan to do when I’m on council.
Law-and-order solutions: We need more police stations, and we need to stop closing the ones we
have. We need to focus on the rights of victims, and work harder to ensure all criminals come to justice.
ANTHONY DISSANAYAKE
What ward/municipality do you live in: Edrington
Political party membership: Absolutely none.
Place of Worship: St Michael’s Parish, Berwick.
Campaign sponsors and donors: None.
Campaign cost/budget: I own a printing and sign company. Therefore my expenses are low.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: I will fight hard to minimise future unnecessary rate increases, more support for our senior citizens and increase and redistribute funding effectively and efficiently to community organisations and sporting clubs.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Oppose any increases to councillor allowances and review of higher management salary increases, oppose councillors going on ratepayer funded overseas trips, reduce council’s ratepayer funded functions.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: I support this. Half-mast Casey flag should remain the same until the council gets its desired action from the government.
Law-and-order solutions: More police, tougher sentencing (this is very important) and a task force on violent street gangs.
RAY PERERA
(preferences Serey, Morland)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Edrington
Political party membership: Totally independent
Place of Worship: Catholic Church
Campaign sponsors and donors: None
Campaign cost/budget: –
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Cut waste, cut rates, cut the cost of childcare.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Millions of dollars being wasted on various projects, reduce bureaucracy and red tape, increase efficiency, many roles and positons which are not required.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: –
Law-and-order solutions: Increase police presence in key areas and at key times, through advocacy with the State Government; a campaign or a drug free Casey; possible look at increasing power to the police in certain areas – obviously through liaison with the State Government.
SUSAN SEREY
(preferences Morland)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Edrington
Political party membership: Liberal
Place of Worship: –
Campaign sponsors and donors: Family and supporters.
Campaign cost/budget: Modest
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council:
1. Advocate for greater investment in roads.
2. Greater emphasis on economic development, business and creating jobs locally.
3. Delivering services our community needs to keep pace with population growth.
Three ways to make council budget savings:
1. Implement efficiency and effectiveness study.
2. Saying no to councillors generating spending on a whim rather than strategic and community priorities.
3. Cutting back on waste.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: I understand the frustration of Casey’s councillors in relation to the concerns about community safety, however, I am of the view that those concerns can be expressed in other ways rather than flying a half mast flag which should be reserved for expressions of honour, grief or respect.
Law-and-order solutions: Lobby for increased police numbers to match Casey’s growth; no cutting back of police station hours; stricter enforcement of existing laws especially involving car jackings and home invasions; use of CCTV in crime hotspots, briefing up Neighbourhood Watch and reversal of Victoria’s weakened bail laws which send a message that there are no consequences for young offenders who flout the law and greater youth engagement in positive activities and relationship such as mentoring programs, and greater access to sporting and entertainment opportunities in Casey for young people.
MICK MORLAND
(preferences Serey)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Edrington
Political party membership: Liberal
Place of Worship: Non-practising Catholic
Campaign sponsors and donors: Nil
Campaign cost/budget: $5000-$10,000
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Lobby for all needs within the Edrington Ward with other councillors – no one councillor can achieve any project without the support of his fellow councillors. Support the Five Year capital works plan to delivery orderly projects within the correct time frame.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Look at the running costs, services within council and get the best tenders.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Agree with the council decision.
Law-and-order solutions: Council does not enforce the law, the police do. Our job is the lobby on behalf of our residents with the police to make our city the best and safest place to live.
[ More Casey Council Ward candidates here… ]
