Baw Baw Shire Council is pleased to announce Cr Michael Leaney has been elected as Mayor and Cr Annemarie McCabe has been elected as Deputy Mayor following the statutory meeting held on Wednesday evening.
In accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, Councillors put forward nominations for the position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Cr Leaney was nominated for Mayor by Cr Tricia Jones with the motion seconded by Cr Keith Cook.
Cr McCabe was nominated for Deputy Mayor by Cr Jazmin Tauru with the motion seconded by Cr Keith Cook.
All nominations were unanimously supported by Councillors in the chamber though a vote by a show of hands.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor will serve a 1-year term in these roles until November 2022.
Quote Attributable to Mayor Cr Michael Leaney
"I'd like to thank my fellow councillors for the faith they've put in me for this important role.
We have a great team here. A team that works cooperatively and one that is totally committed to making things happen for the greater good of our community.
We also have a wonderful team of officers, an excellent CEO, but most importantly we have an amazing community.
No matter what part of the Shire you call home – whether it's in our major growth areas or our rural and remote areas – we have a vibrant community here in Baw Baw Shire. I will work as hard as I can to deliver the results that our whole community desperately requires.
We are the fastest growing regional area in Victoria.
So many people are moving here because they think it's fabulous - and it is fabulous - but we need new infrastructure and government funding support to cope with our growing population.
We need major arterial road improvements. We need community infrastructure improvements. We need healthcare improvements.
Over the next year, I'm going to make getting the assistance we need a key priority. I'm going to call on the Federal Government and the State Government to let them know clearly what we need for our growing municipality. I see both Canberra and Spring Street as being our partners to provide the infrastructure and facilities that the Baw Baw Shire community needs and deserves."
Quote Attributable to Deputy Mayor Cr Annemarie McCabe
"It is an honour to be elected Deputy Mayor and I thank my fellow Councillors for their support and trust in this role.
Baw Baw Shire has so much promise. It is a beautiful place to live and it has so much to offer.
But the pace of growth is posing real challenges: Development challenges, healthcare challenges and infrastructure challenges.
This Council is committed to addressing those challenges and I'm committed to tackling those challenges as Deputy Mayor.
I look forward to working closely with Mayor Leaney and my fellow Councillors to provide leadership, to advocate strongly on our region's behalf, and to deliver the outcomes our residents deserve."
Baw Baw Shire Deputy Mayor Cr Annemarie McCabe, Mayor Cr Michael Leaney and CEO Mark Dupe.
