MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire celebrated the 20-year anniversary of its inaugural council meeting held on 20 March 1997 at the Rosebud Council Chamber.
The occaision was marked with the cutting of a cake at Flinders Civic Hall.
The first meeting was attended by nine councillors elected in the 1997 municipal election.
The election followed the formation of the shire in December 1994 with the amalgamation of the former shires of Flinders, Mornington and Hastings.
For the following three years the shire was managed by state government-appointed commissioners, Nick Hutson, Peter Newman and Jane Moffat.
The shire’s first councillors were Bill Goodrem, David Gibb, David Jarman, David Renouf, Jane Hildebrant, John Trantino, Judith Couacaud Grayley, Margaret Bell and Snez Plunkett.
The shire’s current mayor Cr Bev Colomb said the shire has met many challenges in looking after its green wedge and 40 villages and townships.
“We are proud to say that over the 20 years, the Shire has worked hard to develop a number of strategies, plans and policies to better the peninsula now and in the future,” Cr Colomb said.
“This legacy reminds us of our important duties as elected leaders to value, protect and improve our unique peninsula.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 4 April 2017
