KING Island has a new Mayor for the next 10 weeks. Mayor Vernon Philbey leads the King Island Council until the October council elections. Ms Arnold announced that she was retiring from the council and the plan was to attend the last couple of meetings online and the Deputy Mayor would chair in Chambers. As this was not possible, the Deputy Mayor Vernon Philbey was appointed unopposed by councillors as Mayor.
Mr Philbey first joined council in 1992 and was the last warden elected to the position by councillors. Mr Philbey did not nominate in the 2018 elections, but he rejoined council in 2019 – a year that had two byelections and the resignation of the former mayor David Munday. A major change is the amount of work and pressure when in the Mayoral role and he praised Ms Arnold and said he has seen the toll it has had on her. He said that the major activity to be completed before a new team comes in will be the Planning Scheme. “We’re working through that now,” he said. “Once the council decisions are in with the community input, it will go to the Planning Commission to ratify it or not.” Mr Philbey has not decided whether he will stand for council in the upcoming elections. Long term councillor and previous mayor Duncan McFie was elected Deputy Mayor at this week’s council meeting.
Retiring Mayor urges ‘hands up’
THERE is concern that King Island may struggle to field a full council after this year’s local government elections. This follows a turbulent four years at King Island Council which saw a by-election following the resignation of Mayor David Munday in 2021 citing “an onslaught of aggressive negativity”.
Retiring Mayor Julie Arnold said that it has been a very tough few years for the council, citing the need to develop a strategic plan, a financial plan, as well as the Covid pandemic. Ms Arnold also took aim at Government regulations. “The compliance requirements from state government has just increased out of sight”, she said. However, Ms Arnold strongly encouraged local to put their hands up. “I would say to the people who are looking at standing, please do stand,” she said. “The amount of work that is required depends on your own wishes. “But I know that anybody that is committed to the community, to the point where they will stand as a councillor wants things to happen, wants to move things forward and you will become very involved and very passionate about whatever the areas are that you’re really concerned about, and you’ll enjoy it.”
It is understood that if there are less than nine nominations, there would then be a fresh by-election (or by-elections) to fill the remaining seats. The nine current King Island Council councillors are: Mayor Julie Arnold, Deputy Mayor Vernon Philbey, Ian Allan, Thor Clemons, Ira Cooke, David Bowden, Gina Green, Sarina Laidler and Duncan McFie.
OPINION: ‘Use it or lose it’
THE King Island Courier strongly encourages civic-minded Islanders to put their
hands up for council elections in October. News that there may not even be enough nominations to fill the vacant nine seats is very worrying. Given the instability in the
council early in its term, as well as the trials of Covid and the ever-present social media scrutiny, this is perhaps not surprising.
But for the first time, voting will be compulsory at this year’s election, which means that more than ever it is important that residents who want to make a difference in our island’s future put their hand up and have a go. And with the state government deep into yet another review of local government and giving active consideration of whether there should be a rationalisation of the numbers of councils in the state, this is not a good year for the island to come up short. Don’t give the state government an excuse to merge our council – nominate for council.