Bill Pearson reads from the oath of office as he is sworn in at Cardinia Shire Council’s statutory meeting on Monday.By Paul Dunlop
FIFTEEN years after his last stint as a councillor, Bill Pearson is ready and raring for a second go.
Cr Pearson served a term with the former Pakenham Shire Council in the late 1980s. His path back to local government came via a clear victory in the four-way contest for Bunyip Ward. Cr Pearson polled 2319 first preference votes to finish ahead of sitting councillor Helen Ward (747) and candidates Graeme Moore (973) and Ted Owen (678).
Cr Pearson, an accountant, said he had thought the result would be a lot closer and said it was terrific to win.
“People have given me a strong vote of support. There are a lot of issues on the agenda, certainly roads in the rural area are felt to have been neglected and that’s something I hope to address.”
Cr Pearson was congratulated by other candidates.
Mr Moore said he believed the right candidate got the job and described Cr Pearson as a worthy winner.
Mr Moore said he was also encouraged by the support he received in his first tilt at a seat on the council and vowed to remain involved in community and council affairs.
“It was my first crack at council and I learnt a lot. It was certainly a big learning curve and I’ll be back.”
Mr Moore said he saw his role over the next three years as a watchdog and would monitor with interest the new council’s progress.
“I’ll be very interested to see how the CRRA (Cardinia Ratepayers and Residents Association) councillors handle the situation. It will be interesting to see if they can deliver what they say. There’s a lot to fulfil,” he said.
Mr Moore said he was pleasantly surprised to see Kate Lempriere re-elected in the Central Ward and wished her all the best.
Mr Owen said he knew he faced an uphill battle but was pleased to have made a bit of a dent.
A councillor with the former Pakenham and Berwick shires, Mr Owen also served with the Cardinia Shire until he was unseated at the previous election.
He described Cr Pearson as a good friend and former colleague on the council. “He’ll do a good job, our goals were much the same,” he said.
Mr Owen said he was very pleased to see his son Brett elected in the Central Ward. The potential of a father-son duo on the council added an unusual twist to the campaign and although they did not stand as a team, Mr Owen said he would follow his son’s progress keenly.
Ms Ward could not be contacted for comment.
