By Callum Ludwig
Gareth Ward has been elected as the successful candidate for Yarra Ranges Council’s Chandler Ward.
Cr Ward beat out Belinda Grooby and Ashley Hansen to take the seat in the recent local government elections.
Cr Ward said he is incredibly grateful for the support of his community in electing him as their representative and is excited to get started and make a meaningful difference.
“I hope to bring a fresh perspective, drawing from my experiences as a local business owner and father,” he said.
“This term, we are fortunate to have a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds among the new and re-elected councillors, each of us has something valuable to contribute.”
Cr Ward received 3886 first preference votes (39.46 per cent of total first preference votes) with the second-best being Ms Grooby with 3224 (32.74 per cent) followed by Mr Hansen with 2737 votes (27.8 per cent). After preferences were distributed, Cr Ward ended up with 5498 votes (55.83 per cent), ahead of Ms Grooby (4349, 44.17 per cent).
Cr Ward also previously ran as the Liberals candidate for the Monbulk district in the 2022 State election.
Cr Ward said as promised during his campaign, he is particularly eager to address the budget and ensure they are not overspending.
“The Yarra Ranges, while a beautiful place to live, comes with unique risks and challenges, recent weather changes have highlighted our need for resilience and exposed drainage issues throughout the Shire, I believe that with a controlled budget, we can allocate more funds to bolster our resilience and improve our infrastructure,” he said.
“For Chandler Ward specifically, I am here to support our industries, including agribusiness and tourism, for our families and residents, I want to enhance our assets, parks, play spaces, and township streetscapes.”
The Chandler Ward had a voter turnout of 10,206 residents (82.50 per cent of the total enrolment, 12,371) of which 9847 votes were formal and 359 were informal and could not be counted (3.52 per cent of the total votes).
Cr Ward said he plans to attend as many local events as possible, where residents can feel free to come up for a chat or seek assistance.
“Residents can always contact me via phone, email, or text, and I will be available to assist,” he said,
“The most important part of my role will be using my vote in the chamber to balance the wishes of the community with our local laws,”
“Additionally, I will work with my colleagues to advocate for government funding to support vital services and projects essential for our continuous improvement.”
Chandler Ward consists of Kalorama, Macclesfield, Monbulk, Silvan, Wandin East, Seville, most of Seville East and Wandin North and part of Montrose, Mount Evelyn, Olinda and Emerald.
