Four out of the nine elected councillors are female, including Kate Lempriere, Leticia Wilmot, Jodie Owen and Tania Baxter.
By DANIELLE GALVIN
CARDINIA Shire councillors who got a taste for the mayorship drank from a poisoned chalice – with talk of a “curse” for those who dared to take the reins.
In this year’s Cardinia elections, former mayors Garry Runge, Ed Chatwin and Graeme Legge failed to re-elect in their wards despite being some of the more well-known candidates.
Mr Chatwin’s defeat in Central Ward continued the trend of election year mayors being ousted at the poll.
One former councillor and mayor who was successful was Kate Lempriere, who served in the council before last.
At the declaration on Monday evening, Cr Lempriere nominated her pick for the mayor.
“I’ll be voting for Cr Brett Owen,” she said.
Former councillor and this year’s mayor Ed Chatwin nominated in Central Ward despite having a backing in Ranges Ward and running previously in the hills.
Previous Ranges Ward councillor Graeme Legge was close to a seat on council, which would have been his 15th year, but he was ousted by former Central Ward councillor Brett Owen and new faces Leticia Wilmot and Tania Baxter.
He spoke at the meeting on Monday and said he would look back at his time on council favourably with many memories.
“I extend my wishes to the incoming councillors,” he said.
Cr Lempriere, who served with Mr Legge on a previous council, extended her support for the outgoing councillor.
“Three cheers for Graeme Legge,” she said.
Seven female candidates stood for a seat on council and ran a fierce campaign calling for the gender inequality to come to an end – for three terms Cardinia Council has been an entirely male council.
Four out of the nine councillors are female, including Ms Lempriere, Jodie Owen, Ms Wilmot and Ms Baxter.
“It proves that being younger and being a woman doesn’t mean you can’t be elected,” she said.
A number of returning councillors, including Brett Owen and Graeme Moore congratulated the four female incumbents.
Defeated Port Ward candidate Catherine Manning said she was disheartened that the decision came down to preferential voting, after she was a clear second following the first preference vote count.
“The results show that Graeme (Moore) and I had the majority of first preference votes but unfortunately in the end the preferences were all-important,” she said.
“It was always going to be an issue for me.”
Mr Chatwin said he felt no disappointment or anger at the election result.
“I got such a poor vote,” he said. “The community has spoken and that’s the end of it. I wish the new council good fortune.”
He said his move from Ranges Ward to Central Ward may have contributed to the result and that, at 88, his days of public office are over.
“You mustn’t think about the beginning and the end. It’s a journey and I have enjoyed the journey immensely and managed to achieve the objectives I set out to achieve seven years ago – mainly to do with the purchase of land, as opposed to selling it.”
