Ipswich City Council interim administrator Greg Chemello has announced 99 people who will help offer thoughts and ideas to council as representatives on five separate community reference groups.
Mr Chemello called in March for members of the community to lodge expressions of interest to join the committees.
There were 151 eligible nominations.
“We wanted to provide a forum for people to discuss issues of community interest,” Mr Chemello said.
“We can now draw from a vast local knowledge base, and thereby give more people a voice in the decision making process of council.
“Additionally, this reference group structure gives people a better understanding of how council works, and offers insights into key projects and activities.
“One of my missions as interim administrator has been to restore public confidence in the Ipswich City Council, the decisions it makes, and the processes it follows when making those decisions.
“I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the members of the community reference groups interact with each other, and the ideas they are able to ultimately offer up to council.
“Public participation and engagement is the foundation of good decision making.”
Each group is aligned to a standing committee of council, and will be represented by:
- Economic Development: Adam French, Paul Casos, Phillip Bell, Begoña Trillo, Moein Varaei, Ruth Tyssen-Day, Paul Travis, Kenneth Weaver, Richard Morrison, Nicholas Pender, Peter Aylward, David Ritchie, Ben Rawlings, Christopher Hannah, Linda Doonan, Ashley Marshall, David Cullen, Ashley Gillie, Nikketah Cuneo and Mike McInnes.
- Resilient Communities: Michelle Williams, Carina Tretow-Loof, Rebekah Pick, Larissa Melanie, Belinda Walker, Larry Stumer, Timothy Jordan, Bev Cooper, Rowena McGregor, Ben Hentschke, Louise Lebhers, Anita Dwyer, Nigel Lavender, Nev Paulsen, Graeme Ault, Reena Sharma, Eric Rushton, Jon Janetzki, Shay Ryan and Ruma Wagley.
- Growth Management: Kirsty O’Brien, Shelley Elshaw, Grace Muriuki, George Hatchman, Craig Harte, Cheryl Hasted, Judith Vink, Bruce Leslie, Ursula Monsiegneur, Visha Uchronska, Shirley Baker, Douglas Russell, Deborah Pye, Rebecca Andlèmac, Susan McMahon, Nicole Sherlock, Kathryn Just, Olaf Heeremans and James Pinnell.
- Environment: Paul Sutton, Luise Manning, Bob Hampson, Conny Turni, Ian Dainer, Billy Diehm, Robert Otjen, Jim Dodrill, Stephen Phillips, Angus Evans, Joseph McLeod, Esther James, Gaby Ricketts, David Trezise, Amber Dupouy, Sonia Brown, Peter Surgeoner, James Prentice, Pam Lenton and Alex Mair.
- Transparent Governance: Christine Ryan, Megan Buxton, Marie Kavanagh, Fuad Paul Forghani, John Fraser, Trevor Reynolds, Warren Keel, Cecil Maddox, Paul Travis, Geoffrey Yarham, Steve Mallet, Martin Corkery, Jade Connor, Adrianne Robinson, Mira Yates, David Harris, James Fazl, Robert Gould, Susan Dunne and Kate den Otter.
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I’m normally a private person who’s not involved with too many community groups or action groups, but I really wanted to be part of this new opportunity.
I love Ipswich, I’m as Ipswich as you can get. So I feel like I have my finger on the pulse when, through my profession, I’m talking to Ipswich clients about what they might want for the city. I feel like I’m able to understand. So I hope now I’m able to contribute in a positive way.
I am hoping that we can intensely look at where governance has gone wrong, where possible including other regions and examples, and how we can ensure a transparent and integral council going forward.
Ipswich has a story to tell, the good and the bad, and I believe that the next chapters can be positive – let’s change the story.
I have lived in Ipswich for almost 29 years and have also worked in Ipswich for 25 of those years. Ipswich has a significant future, especially because of the predicted growth over the next 15 years. Ipswich has come a long way even with the difficult times, and I believe it can build a reputation that is transparent, honourable to its community members and different from the past.
I am passionate about Government being transparent and in light of the of events over the last 12 months it is vital for Ipswich that we build a council that is transparent.
