SUSAN Bissinger seems certain to be named as the replacement councillor for Hugh Fraser in Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Nepean Ward.
Ms Bissinger’s appointment – subject to her signing a declaration that she is still qualified to be a councillor – follows Tuesday’s (13 April) recount of votes cast in the November 2020 election.
Ms Bissinger told The News that she was “looking forward to getting things done, or at least having a go at getting them done”.
In her candidate’s statement before the November election Ms Bissinger said “my goal is to improve the look, feel and function of our local communities in a cost effective way, whilst conserving and protecting the natural environment”.
“A large chunk of the [shire’s] revenue comes from the Nepean Ward, yet very little funding comes back to us – we need to divert funds back to Nepean Ward and ensure best use of resources for all council projects.”
Ms Bissinger said that in her years as a project manager “I have never failed to deliver, and if elected, I won’t let you down”.
Ms Bissinger, who received 17.21 per cent of the 20,000 primary votes at last year’s election, will join Cr Sarah Race in representing Nepean Ward.
Hugh Fraser’s surprise resignation in March left the shire with 10 councillors and some still unanswered questions (“Fraser bows out over ‘differences’ with CEO” The News 29/3/21).
Candidates who missed out on winning for the second time in the wake of Mr Fraser’s departure were Mechelle Cheers, Simon Mulvany, Mark Davis and Gary Naughton.
For her part, Ms Bissinger, through her Nepean Voters Action Group website “All about Sorrento”, said websites with a similar format would have been started for all areas from Tootgarook to Portsea if she had been elected.
Now that it seems she has a seat on council, Ms Bissinger will be able to make good on that promise.
She will also be able to voice the opposition expressed on her website to the shire’s draft master plan for Sorrento foreshore.
“We think it seems to be an expensive, unattractive and inappropriate mismatch of styles and materials and doesn’t address function or respect the history of this particular area,” the Nepean Voters Action Group website states.
Among many other actions, it also wants storage racks for boats on Sorrento beaches with boat owners paying a fee to the shire.
