By Callum Ludwig
Warburton resident James Talbett is running to be the new O’Shannassy Ward Councillor for Yarra Ranges Council.
Mr Talbett is in his mid-40s and has lived in Warburton since 2018 with his dog Diesel and has worked in the manufacturing and transport industries.
Mr Talbett said his Warburton home is the first he has bought, having previously rented in Doncaster, Eaglemont, Kew, Burwood, Caulfield North, Brunswick, North Melbourne, Chadstone, and Hawthorn.
“In the last 18 months, I have tried to find work close to home, and this has led to a couple of jobs within the O’Shannassy ward, one in a small factory in Woori Yallock and one over summer as a project firefighter at the Warburton depot of a large water management agency,” he said.
“I do not have a list of key issues that I think need to be addressed, I do not have set goals that I am looking to achieve, I would approach each issue as it comes up on their merits,” he said.
“I would listen to what people have to say, and then make a decision based on what I believed to be the best outcome, I would do this to the best of my ability to represent the residents and ratepayers of O’Shannassy.”
Mr Talbett is also a probationary member of the Warburton CFA and is currently completing his General Firefighter training, while he also competes in the Target Rifle Victoria 20m Benchrest Pennant competition with the D team of the Warburton Small Bore Rifle Club.
Mr Talbett said he is running for Council because he wanted to take part in the democratic process and believes it is important for people to put their hand up as candidates so that the voters have as much choice as possible.
“I believe that I have a wide range of life experiences that would help me perform the role of councillor, I have worked on the factory floor, I have been a union delegate and HSR, I have been the president of a soccer club, I am a director of a small independent record label, I have held a hose and I have completed formal study in areas that interest me,” he said.
Mr Talbett was the president of Dockland Athletic FC, is a director of WTF Recordings and has completed aG raduate Certificate of Computer Science and a Bachelor of Applied Music – Audio Production.
Mr Talbett said he is a member of the Labor party but is not endorsed by them and is running in the Council elections as an independent candidate.
“I have been a financial member of the AWU since February 2017 and in addition, between September 2019 and February 2023, I was the AWU workplace union delegate (shop steward) at a medium sized factory in Bayswater, between July 2021 and February 2023, I was a HSR (Health and Safety Representative) at the same workplace,” he said.
“Previous to that, I have also been a member of the following unions at various times: MEAA, NUW, TWU, AMWU, and ASU, I have attended training sessions at the AWU offices, Trades Hall, and the CFMEU training facility in Port Melbourne, I have attended online training sessions run by UWU and I have attended conferences organised by the AWU and Victorian Trades Hall Council,”
“I strongly believe that joining the union is the best possible way for working people to advance their pay and conditions.”
Mr Talbett also likes ‘kicking back’ with a beer and watching the football to relax.
