Current councillor and Marlo local, Mark Reeves, has announced he will contest the October 2024 local government elections in East Gippsland.
Mark, Alice and his family moved to East Gippsland in 1995.
Since then, they have lived at Mallacoota, in the high country at Dinner Plain and Marlo.
Their two children were proudly and beautifully educated at Government schools in Omeo and Orbost.
He has served three council terms and was mayor in 2013, 2021-2023, principal of The Alpine School and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mark acknowledges he is supported in everything he does by his wife, Alice.
“There are many economic, social and environmental issues that we have to face in the next four years, and local government can have a positive impact or mitigating effect,” Mark.
“The economy and society in transition is a huge issue for all. That combined with the impacts of cost of living, job security, climate change and changing local communities due to timber and energy transition create uncertainty. An impact of uncertainty is anxiety. Mental and physical health and wellbeing are impacted by these changes.
“While local government doesn’t directly interact with all these challenges, we can have an indirect and supporting role in many.”
Some of the key areas of focus Reeves has identified as a councillor for the next four years includes improvement in community consultation, decisions and engagement.
“While councillors ultimately are the decision makers, we can improve community input and make it a key consultative and council priority that ensure alignment of community expectation and experience of consultation. As elected representatives, it is our role to take the voices of the community to the council chamber, Spring Street and Canberra,” he said.
“The visitor economy continues to be a critical focus for the next council, and this is high on my list. We need to continue our good relationship with the natural estate managers (Parks. GLaWAC, DEECA) and work together to maximise the visitor experience and ensure the economic benefit to our local businesses.
“We want our shire to be a sticky place for visitors, so they stay, spend and enjoy.
“Our shire continues to have increased pressures to cater for new residents, new housing and subdivisions and development.
“This will create many issues and opportunities for us in future.
“We need to be ready and willing to embrace the future through supporting the Shire Planners and the Strategic Planning Frameworks. We need to focus on protecting high-value agricultural land from being broken up into hobby farms, improving connectivity, telecommunications, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and strategically improve and seal the remaining 1700km of unsealed roads over time.”
Mark has a strong record of cross border advocacy with relationships to the NSW Bega Valley and Snowy Monaro Regional Councils, as well as Alpine and all the Gippsland Regional Councils.
“We will continue to celebrate the rich and long indigenous history of the shire,” he said.
“The Reconciliation Plan is an early priority for the next council, and I look forward to continuing the relationship with GEGAC, Moogji and GlaWAC and our Aboriginal Community to make this happen.”
Mark said his comprehensive policy statement will be available soon. Look for the ads in this paper in the next months.
Local Government elections take place in October by mail voting.
