By Ethan Benedicto
Confident not just in his profession but his 50 years of residence in the City of Casey, John Ternel has announced his candidacy for the upcoming October elections.
Running for Grevillea Ward, Ternel has his sights set on community safety, improved infrastructure and enhanced public engagement.
Ternel said with extensive involvement with the Rotary Club of Greater Dandenong as its president-elect, as well as a track record of problem-solving and managing large-scale transformation projects through work in private enterprise, he wants “to change things around”.
Speaking on the previous body of councillors, Ternel said that “a lot of the councillors were going into meetings and not talking to the people”.
“They weren’t listening to what the constituents wanted, so as a resident, it’s very frustrating because your voice could never be heard.”
Having worked for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco and Dimension Data, Ternel believes that the skills he has learned would be valuable when addressing the challenges currently facing the City of Casey.
Furthermore, Ternel is no stranger to delivering numerous local and global projects “on time and within budget” with owning a project management business; experience he said is “well-equipped to work with Casey’s annual budgets”.
“I’m sure that with my experience with working on large projects, mergers and working on processes and such, those can all be incorporated; I can be the kind of guy that can help make this place better,” he said.
Running as an independent candidate, Ternel recognises the importance of public engagement and that this experience in private enterprise is not limited to conversations on the nature of business.
A “true conversation with people” is what he aims to deliver, where proper questions are asked and it revolves around “listening to [their] points and then let’s work out a plan to go and fix it”.
His family, having owned shoe stores in Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, Ternel, “as a young boy, I was out there working with customers”.
“Learning about customer experiences, and customer service, just how to talk to people.
“My dad always taught me to be genuine in what you’re doing, and I think that’s worked really well for me,” he said.
In addition to his professional background, Ternel’s involvement with the Rotary Club has made him closely connected to the various community issues, where those mentioned conversations with everyday people and their struggles are all too common.
Ternel has also been instrumental in organising events such as the Dandenong All Holden Car Show, which raises funds for local charities; from there he said his community work has given him a clear understanding of Casey’s challenges.
Addressing crime is a key factor of Ternel’s commitments, where he has witnessed firsthand its rise in local communities where his son was assaulted by a gang on Crawley Road.
“It was really disappointing to see that Narre Warren North, which used to be a safe area, now has all these problems surrounding crime,” he said.
That incident, coupled with his concern for the community’s wellbeing has since fuelled his commitment to make a change.
These changes to community wellbeing also go beyond physical safety, with Ternel committed to keeping the annual rate rises to a minimum, ensuring that residents are not “unduly burdened by increasing expenses”.
“It costs a lot of money to run a council, so we have to look at this like it’s a business, and instead of the government saying you’re mandated to increase your rates by three per cent a year, I’m going to see if I can keep it to half or below that.
“By carefully examining and optimising our budget, I am to identify and eliminate wasteful spending, ensuring that every dollar is used efficiently,” he said.
Speaking on politics in council, Ternel acknowledged that it is essential for the body to be apolitical, but said that “there’s a fine line between selling yourself to a political party and working with them”.
If there is to be involvement in politics, he said “we need to ensure that other politicians are going to help the residents of Casey”.
Looking ahead, Ternel said he is in the process of knowing key stakeholders, putting a plan in place and relying on the age-old – but proven – methodology of forming, storming and norming.
“We’re hungry, we want to get this job done, we want to change and we’re going to deliver it,” he said.
