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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-02 Daily Xml
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Local Government

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (15:25): It gives me great pleasure today to be able to stand up and reflect on some of the people in my community who have provided exceptional service through their contributions to local government in recent years. We have the local government elections before us at the moment, and it gives us an opportunity to reflect and provide support to particular people who are standing for election. But, of course, with local government elections also comes the transition between old candidates and new candidates, and people make decisions not to recontest.

I want to reflect on the contributions and the local government careers of a couple of people who have served the council areas that cross over with my electorate. Firstly, I want to pay tribute to the role of Tim Gard, a councillor for Coastal Ward in the City of Marion. Tim was elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. A Marino resident, he had a particular focus on those coastal suburbs of Marino, Hallett Cove and Seacliff Park that make up the southern part of the City of Marion. In fact, Tim replaced the vacancy on council that I created when I left the City of Marion council to enter our state's parliament.

It has been great to work with Tim. He has had a real level of tenacity in terms of fighting for the local community over an extended period of time, whether it is local park upgrades or more significant projects around the development of Glenthorne National Park and, while it is a state government initiated project, there was a lot of commitment and interest from the City of Marion and Tim and his co-councillor Ian Crossland.

Tim also had a real focus on what he refers to as civic pride, lifting the quality of streetscaping, footpaths, local parks, community centres and such community infrastructure. I think particularly the Hallett Cove foreshore upgrade, which began during my time on council, was significantly enhanced by both Tim and Ian working in collaboration with the community to create the Hallett Cove War Memorial, which is such a focal point for ANZAC Day commemorations down at Hallett Cove Beach and the broader foreshore upgrade. It has really created a sense of place and a heart for the Hallett Cove community.

I want to thank Tim for his contribution over the last eight years and to wish him all the best as he leaves the council. I also want to thank his wife, Jane, for supporting him as well. I wish them both all the best. I know that Jane has recently retired as they go forward to look at different pursuits.

I also want to pay tribute today to the very lengthy service of a member of Holdfast Bay council, and that is Rosemary Clancy. Rosemary was elected to the City of Brighton council back in 1991, some 31 years ago, and was Mayor of the Brighton council before transitioning to the City of Holdfast Bay when it was created following the 1997 amalgamations. Rosemary's contribution to the community has been nothing short of phenomenal over the last three decades. She is someone whose state and federal politics I do not share, but at a local level there were no party political politics when it came to Rosemary's contribution.

She was someone who looked clear eyed at every issue. She had a big vision for the community, both the Brighton area that she represented and the broader Holdfast Bay region. She continually built relationships with community members, elected officials at state and federal levels and other councillors, always putting her community first.

With projects like the Kauri Community and Sports Centre and the disability access strategy—in fact, the Brighton jetty, destroyed by a storm in the early nineties, was rebuilt under Rosemary's watch as mayor—she has always put the right decision, the strategic decision, the big picture vision before listening to the squeaky wheel. It is something I have respected so much. I will miss sitting down with Rosemary for coffee and talking about issues that will impact the City of Holdfast Bay for the better. I want to thank Rosemary for a phenomenal contribution over 31 years—1991 to 2022—and wish her and Tony all the best for the future.

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