Whyalla’s new Council was officially sworn in last night. Pictured are, from back left, Bill Simpson, Sharon Todd, David Knox, Mayor Phill Stone, Peter Klobucar, Mark Inglis, and from front left, Tamy Pond, Zia Westerman and Peter Borda (absent Kathryn Campbell).
Whyalla’s new council members have been officially sworn in and are looking forward to ensuring the city fully capitalises on the exciting opportunities ahead.
Phill Stone was sworn in as Whyalla’s tenth mayor, with eight other council members also officially appointed to council (one council member was unable to attend due to illness, so will be sworn in as soon as practical).
As well as Mayor Stone, returning from the previous council are Bill Simpson, Zia Westermann, David Knox and Tamy Pond. The new members are Mark Inglis, Peter Borda, Peter Klobucar, Kathryn Campbell and Sharon Todd.
Mayor Stone sincerely thanked everyone who supported and trusted him to represent their city as mayor for the next four years.
“I am humbled by the incredible number of congratulatory wishes I have received – they reinforce the fact that I nominated to successfully lead the city to a positive future for all residents,” Mayor Stone said.
“There are some exciting opportunities – such as hydrogen and the Foreshore Master Plan – as well as major challenges to be addressed, so I’m looking forward to working with my fellow council members to not only prioritise and move these forward, but also keep the community regularly informed on our progress.
“I will be a genuinely respectful, accountable and transparent leader for our city, with a focus on ensuring we only invest in projects that ratepayers can afford, which includes working constructively with State and Federal Governments to gain maximum funding for essential projects.”
Mayor Stone said it was great to see a mix of new and returning council members representing the city, with all five of the incumbent council members who stood for this election being re-elected.
“This will allow us to not only continue the excellent work and stability from the previous council, but also inject some new ideas and priorities to ensure we’re continuing to evolve and meet the community’s changing needs,” he said.
Whyalla City Council CEO Justin Commons thanked the community for their support of this year’s election.
“To have 21 people nominate for the 10 positions, as well as more than 42 percent of eligible voters submitting their vote – which was well above the State average – demonstrates many Whyalla residents have a keen interest in their city’s future,” Mr Commons said.
“Over the next two-to-three years, we will see once-in-a-generation projects coming online, so it will be exciting to see this council continue to capitalise on these in order to maximise the short and long-term benefits for Whyalla.”
Mayor Phill Stone shortly after being sworn in.
Here is a small gallery of photos throughout evening of the ceremony and celebrations afterwards
