Biography

I was elected as Councillor for the Alfredton Ward in October, 2024. This is my first term on Ballarat Council.

I was born in Ballarat and have lived here for most of my life. Ballarat is my home. I am a proud Australian.

I love Ballarat's beautiful parks and gardens, it's historical buildings, Lake Wendouree, the botanical gardens and boatsheds, Eureka Stockade, Sovereign Hill, the gold rush history, the Arch of Victory, the Prisoner of War Memorial, Sturt Street, Victoria Park, Ballarat Wildlife Park, Ballarat’s hospitality industry with its many old pubs, new cafés and restaurants, its sports facilities and how there is not too much traffic. I believe that Ballarat is a great place to live but we can still improve it.

My focus is on getting the City of Ballarat back to basics, to deliver on its core functions very well, to fix and maintain our roads, footpaths & critical infrastructure, on conducting real community consultation, without having a predetermined agenda, keeping our rates down and helping address the cost-of-living, collecting our rubbish weekly, not fortnightly, using our money sensibly & responsibly for best value for money, working together on problems to help get good results for Ballarat residents. The silent majority matters.

To keep our city clean, tidy and well maintained, protect our history and heritage, keep our parks & gardens beautiful, remove graffiti and make Ballarat a beautiful city to live in or visit, a city that we can all be proud of.

As a policeman, I helped and protected the public from criminals for 34 years before I recently retired from Victoria Police. I was a uniform, general duties, police patrol officer, then later on a police patrol supervisor for about thirteen years total. Then I was a police prosecutor in the Magistrates Court, the Children’s Court and in the Family Violence Court for approximately twelve years. Most recently, I was a police detective at the Fraud and Extortion Squad, at Police Command, Docklands for approximately eight years.

I have successfully completed the:

• Police Prosecutor’s Course (Criminal Law) – Victoria Police

• Sub-Officer’s Course (Sergeant’s Course) – Victoria Police

• Field Investigator’s Course (F.I.C.) – Victoria Police

• Detective Training School (D.T.S) – Victoria Police and

• Advanced Diploma of Public Safety (Police Investigation) – Victoria Police.

I have been awarded the:

• Victoria Police Ethical Service Medal (30 years)

• National Medal for Emergency Workers, protecting and serving the community (25 years) and

• National Police Service Medal, for ethical and diligent service (15 years).

I want to help make Ballarat a beautiful, historical, clean, tidy, orderly and well-maintained garden city that Ballarat residents and visitors/tourists enjoy and love.

Committees and Boards for 2024/25

• Disability Advisory Committee

• Planning Delegated Committee

• City Partnerships Delegated Committee

• Audit and Risk Committee

• Lake Wendouree and Gardens Stakeholder Reference Group

• Arch of Victory / Avenue of Honour Stakeholder Reference Group

• Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility Advisory Committee

• Coghill’s Creek/Glendaruel Cemetery

• Learmonth Cemetery