Council Member Profile

Quarterly Column

May 2026

Times are tough in local government. Council project costs went through the roof during COVID and never really came back down. On top of that, we now face increased prices resulting from the blockage of the Hormuz Strait. Big cost factors for local government are fuel and bitumen, which have dramatically increased in price.

Short of cutting services, Council has no option but to increase rates. Even cutting services is problematic, as Council’s Enterprise Bargaining Agreement does not permit forced redundancies, so staff from services that are closed or reduced would still remain on the payroll.

On top of that, we are heavily subsidising the airport, which is a big part of Council’s costs, largely as a result of the Federal Government making airport security compulsory. So it’s difficult being a Councillor in these troubled times, as there can be criticism regardless of the decisions you make.

Later this year, a new Council will be elected. Folks seem to think that being on Council only requires attendance at a monthly meeting, but nothing could be further from the truth. You will attend at least one meeting a week, as well as compulsory training and the various functions that Councillors are expected to attend.

If elected, you will find it hard to escape being questioned by the community at events, out in the community, while socialising, plus phone calls and emails that will take up a lot of your time. On top of that, you will need to have a thick skin given the criticism that can be aimed at Council (in particular on social media).

Social media commentary often suggests Councillors are only in it for the allowance, but this is relatively low in contrast to the hours put in, particularly time spent reading agendas, which are usually around 400 pages and sometimes more. Agendas are sent out on Thursdays before the Monday meeting, so it can often require many hours of weekend reading.

I don’t want to discourage anyone from nominating for Council, I just want them to be aware it’s not always easy. Despite this, it can be extremely rewarding knowing that you are doing something for the community, especially when you see positive outcomes from the decisions you’ve made and the difference it’s made to people’s lives.

Previous columns:

November 2025

As council has entered its final 12 months, with a new council being elected late next year, it is worth reflecting on what is involved in being a councillor.

It’s fair to say that there is a minority, albeit a noisy minority, that considers council to be worthless and its members to be corrupt, overpaid etc. Those same people never attend a council meeting and demonstrate little knowledge of how a council works. Yes, elected councillors receive an allowance, but it is only around $20k to cover the costs of office, which includes phone, travel etc.  It is significantly less than what can be earned by senior staff.

Social media has a lot to answer for and anyone choosing to nominate for election will need to have thick skin. They will also need to be prepared for the commitments of time required, as there is usually a weekly meeting or briefing night and numerous other commitments. Then, there are the agendas which must be read. These come out on Thursdays and can be 300 to 500 plus pages! And f you don’t read the agenda, it’s hard to participate in council meetings. Reading the agenda is a fun way to spend your weekend!

Never lose sight of the fact that your phone will ring more often and you will have several emails to deal with daily. Even out socialising, it is common to be questioned on council matters.

The overall message is, if you are thinking about nominating, think of the time commitments, as it’s not just one meeting a month. I encourage you to attend a few council meetings beforehand to get an understanding of the workings and, if you do choose to nominate, then I wish you good luck.

August 2025

The spread of the algal bloom on SA coastlines is devasting for anyone with interests in commercial and amateur fishing and tourism while the marine life is dying with underwater habitat destroyed. Although it is in the Southern Spencer Gulf, the level of salinity in the Upper Spencer Gulf is currently thought to be too high to support the growth of the algal bloom. Let’s hope that conditions continue to prevent its spread into our waters, as it could destroy the cuttlefish, not to mention other species.It's hard to see what is happening in SA waters while certain politicians argue against climate change.

While it's understandable that residents are concerned about airfares, had Council not upgraded the airport runways (using mainly grant funds), the larger planes introduced by Qantas would not have been able to land, other than with a reduced passenger load, which may have added to the airfares.

Major works are underway at Civic Park, which will certainly add to the amenity of the park. While a number of trees have had to be removed for safety reasons, further plantings will take place across the park, including some Moreton Bay fig trees, which are so beloved at the foreshore and Ada Ryan Gardens.

Hopefully the water play area at the foreshore will not be too far behind it. I often think we take the foreshore for granted, as when I talk to visitors, one of the first things they mention is how much they like the foreshore and the gardens.

I think confidence in our city is increasing through the backing of both Federal and State governments, plus the work of KordaMentha and all the employees and contractors across the plant and the mines. I feel pretty confident that we will ultimately be manufacturing green steel here & will do so for many years to come.

March 2025

Whyalla has faced difficult times in the past, including the restructure of the steel industry and the closure of the shipyards. We were again facing troubled times with the blast furnace and cash flow to GFG contractors, many of whom faced an uncertain future. The bold decision to place GFG in administration has certainly improved the situation in Whyalla and the funding from our Federal and State Governments should assure our future. Both governments have recognised the sovereign importance of our steelworks and the need to modernise.

To take advantage of these new opportunities, I believe that council needs to employ an Economic Development Officer to identify and pursue new opportunities that will arise. We no longer have the Whyalla Economic Development Board providing this service and the EP Regional Development Board is not resourced sufficiently to provide this level of service. Zero Petroleum, Tilt Renewables and Alligator Energy are three such opportunities.

Such an officer could pursue other opportunities such as a retirement village. Moonta, Port Pirie etc have them and I believe there would be sufficient demand here. In doing so, it’s important to find an operator that has the right operating system so that costs are not astronomical and exit fees are not exorbitant. It may be necessary to provide some incentive to attract the right operator.

I firmly believe that Council needs to cut its costs as we all know we are not a sustainable Council due to debt, expenditure and income sources. In terms of income, the main source is the rates and we can’t keep on with sizeable increases. Many of our ratepayers are pensioners and it is a struggle to find $2000+ to pay their rates, while for those in rentals, the landlords will pass the rates on through rental fees.

Issues in and around Westlands and McDouall Stuart Avenue continue to cause concerns, Whyalla doesn’t have the services to deal with the issues and it’s not a problem that the city has faced before. I suspect that dry areas will need to be extended in an attempt to eliminate/reduce the problems. Sad to say that it’s a minority causing the issues, but it impacts on both residents and visitors. These people are not respecting our community as evidenced by their behaviours.