By Luke Voogt
Former Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood has declared he will run for Geelong’s next council in defiance of calls for “fresh faces”.
“A new council is going to need some experience on it,” Mr Harwood said, as he declared his candidacy to the Indy on Wednesday.
“A number of community requests are going unheeded as the community’s voice has been completely muted.”
Mr Harwood pledged to retain Highton Library, which a passionate community campaign prevented from closing earlier this year.
Barwon Heads Road urgently needed upgrading “to help with the huge increase in vehicle traffic and future use,” he added.
His Greater Geelong priorities included campaigning for the city’s conference centre, a 21st century bus port, homeless accommodation and repairing pot holes.
“Arguably one of the greatest complaints from our road users is that the council does respond well enough to (this problem),” he said.
Mr Harwood served multiple times as mayor and deputy mayor, but declared he had no interest in the top job.
“I’ll certainly look at the supporting role (of deputy mayor) if required,” he said.
Mr Harwood was part of the council which State Government dismissed in April 2016.
But he was unfazed by Geelong MP Christine Couzen’s threat earlier this year that sacked councillors could face new investigations.
“I have nothing to fear if the State Government decides to finally investigate any allegations against any previous councillors,” he said.
“My question would be why wasn’t this done in the first place to give the community the transparency and information that was supposedly being sought?”
Meanwhile fellow sacked councillor John Irvine has withdrawn from the municipal race after declaring his candidacy earlier this year.
“I haven’t got the drive and the passion for it anymore,” he said. “But I’ll still advocate for the local community.”
Rod Macdonald, who was also part of the sacked council, said he would continue his work on a community broadband project instead of running in the next Geelong election.
Former Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins and local coalition MP Simon Ramsay have both called for fresh faces for Geelong’s new council.
