Left out: Councillor Noel Cliff.
By Russell Bennett
STREETON Ward has again missed out on having a mayor representing its residents.
Councillor Noel Cliff failed in his bid to be voted into the top job at the council meeting on Tuesday 14 December.
He ran against Melba Ward councillor Terry Avery and Lyster Ward’s Samantha Dunn.
Cr Avery defeated Cr Cliff in the second round of voting after Cr Dunn was eliminated in the first round at the council’s meeting.
Cr Cliff, who self-nominated for the position, said his loss means the ward has been without a mayor representing it for a decade.
He said he put forward a strong case.
“Streeton (Ward) is 10 years without a mayor,” he said.
“People love a mayor in their area. The mayor position is something that should be revolved through the wards.
“I’m only asking for fairness.”
Outgoing Yarra Ranges mayor Len Cox praised Cr Cliff for his eight years on the council so far and dubbed him a great future leader.
“He would make a great mayor,” Cr Cox said. “Cr Cliff is one of the best councillors I’ve worked with.”
But Cr Cox said the idea of rotating the mayor position throughout ranges wards simply wouldn’t work.
“The system we’ve got doesn’t allow for giving wards turns,” Cr Cox said.
“The former Lillydale Council had a rotating system but they only had four wards. We have nine.
“Having so many wards makes it extremely difficult.”
Cr Cliff, who had a health scare at the 23 November council meeting, said he was far from discouraged by the election’s result.
“I’m rapt with what happened the other night (at the election),” he said.
“This issue is being spoken about again.”
Cr Cliff said he was fed up with the southern part of the shire being “neglected”.
“If you ran a big circle around the Lilydale shire office, you’d see the mayor position stays inside a 10 kilometre radius,” he said.
Despite the loss, Cr Cliff wouldn’t rule out another crack at the mayorship in 12 months.
“Every day you get up, you’re a winner,” he said.
“It’s way too early to say for sure but there’s no reason why I wouldn’t (run).”
Cr Cliff was full of praise for the now former mayor, Cr Cox.
“Out of all the Yarra Ranges mayors, he’s been the best,” Cr Cliff said.
“He’s not a storm trooper, he listens, and does all he can for the community.
“He hasn’t been very good – he’s been the best.”
Cr Cliff wished Cr Cox’s successor luck with his new title. “I hope to hell Terry (Avery) will be a good mayor,” Cr Cliff said.
“He’s got big shoes to fill.
“I hope he’s been looking and learning.”
