By Mikayla van Loon
After 40 years in the job, Councillor Len Cox still has fight in him and a focus on “trying to do my best for Walling”.
Estimating that this was his 15th consecutive re-election, Cr Cox said “sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you’ve got to try anyway” and was again grateful for the community support he received.
Pulling 68.56 per cent of first preference votes, Cr Cox was easily reappointed against fellow candidate David Ferrier.
Cr Cox said his first priority would be to oversee the development of the Cambridge Road site, closely followed by rebuilding a pool in Kilsyth.
“The old school land that we bought a year ago, I want to get that really up to scratch in the next four years and the whole lot landscaped, with more parkland, bike tracks, walking tracks and an urban forest. So I’m really keen to get that done in the next term,” he said.
“The other important thing I want to try and do, I don’t know whether I’ll succeed with this, I want to get Kilsyth Pool rebuilt. It was very disappointing when the decision got made about that.
“The urban areas of the Yarra Ranges, which is nearly half the population, don’t have a heated swimming pool, an indoor swimming pool at all, whereas the rural and the hills areas have got three and that just isn’t the right way.”
Happy to be holding a seat at the table, Cr Cox said he wouldn’t be volunteering for mayor or deputy mayor.
“There’s almost no chance of that. I love being mayor, it is a great job but to be perfectly honest, I’ve done it six times and I actually think there’s a bit too much work in it for me this time,” he said.
“So I won’t be putting your hand up for that, I’m happy just to be on council.”
The first meetings of the new council occurred early this week in the lead up to the first official council meeting on Tuesday 19 November, where mayor and deputy mayor elections will take place.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the four new councillors. The beginning of a council term is always a very busy time for meetings, because they’ve got to show the new ones all that goes on and what they can do and what they can’t and all the rest of it about being a local councillor.
“So that’s always a busy time, but it gives us a chance to get to know each other, which really is quite important.”
Cr Cox said the council has received some early criticism with eight of nine wards electing male representatives, with Cr Fiona McAllister running unopposed for her seat in Ryrie.
“The council’s already been criticised because they’ve only got one woman on council…but that’s got nothing to do with the council. That’s to do with the voters.
“Ideally, you really should have four or five men and four or five women on council, and that would be the ideal situation.”
The 40-year-veteran said a large thanks has to go to his constituents for bringing him back for another term.
“I’m really very grateful for the community to once again show their confidence in me and give me such a good vote. We’ve got a great community in Walling Ward, I think I’ve got the best ward in the municipality, without any doubt.
“I’m just very, very grateful that I got that vote the other day. It’s been terrific, and I thank them all for it, and certainly over the next four years, I’ll do whatever I can to make life in Walling a bit better than what it is.”
