Dealing with issues that come with growth will be the main focus of Wyndham’s new mayor, Adele Hegedich.
Speaking to Star Weekly last week, the lifelong Wyndham resident said unprecedented growth meant new services were needed.
“We also need to update and increase existing services,” Ms Hegedich said. “We need a better public transport system and better roads.”
At 32 and one of Wyndham’s youngest mayors, Cr Hegedich plans to bring new energy to the role.
“I think [my election] is an example of the new demographics coming into the area,” she said.
“In saying that, everyone brings something different to council. Older councillors bring wisdom and their time; those from different cultural backgrounds bring something different, too.”
Council presence
Responding to her reputation in the community as a councillor who isn’t always present, Cr Hegedich said that public perception of her was unfair.
“I’ve had a lot of family health issues in recent years which have taken priority. At the end of the day, family is my number one priority,” she said.
“The role of a councillor is also changing. “That old-school mentality suggests you need to be seen out and about but, instead, I think it’s about strategic direction.
“That’s where I contribute a lot more than a lot of other councillors. Just because you’re seen there, it doesn’t mean you’re contributing.”
Ms Hegedich, who is independent of political parties, said councils should always be bipartisan.
She said she was looking forward to her year in office and had big plans for her time in the mayor’s chair.
“I want to be able to walk away leaving a legacy in some capacity,” she said. ‘‘At the end of the day, I want to say I’ve done a good job and made a difference.”
With council elections scheduled for 2016, Cr Hegedich said it was too early to know if she would run again.
with Charlene Macaulay
