Sonia Buckley will serve her first term as an East Gippsland Shire Councillor following her success in recent elections. Cr Buckley walks into the council chamber with good genes as the daughter of the outgoing Deputy Mayor and longtime councillor, Ben Buckley. Cr Buckley is keen to ensure the council chamber remains free of party politics which she believes has no place in local government.

Cr Mendy Urie believes the newly installed East Gippsland Shire Council will need to address the proposed mineral sand mine at Glenaladale as a priority. Cr Urie, who has previously been a councillor and mayor for three years back in the first decade of 2000, is also keen to ensure a healthy working culture around the council table. Following her election to council, Cr Urie told the Advertiser...

Kirsten Van Diggele is the youngest ever councillor to be elected to the East Gippsland Shire. She polled the most primary votes and was the first name read out by the Victorian Electoral Commission to secure the first seat in the council chamber. Cr Van Diggele, who recorded this podcast about a week before being sworn in as a councillor on November 17, was grateful to those who voted for her.

Ben Buckley, of Benambra, has been a name synonymous with local government for over four decades. Mr Buckley, now aged 84, has decided to retire as a councillor from the East Gippsland Shire Council and not re-contest for a position on the new council. Mr Buckley has been a councillor for 29 of the past 40 years and is a popular figure among East Gippsland residents. His legendary status saw him...

Tim Behan runs the Club Hotel In Orbost after moving to East Gippsland some years ago. Mr Behan decided to run for a seat on the nine member East Gippsland Shire Council because he believes there is a lack of representation in regional towns. He says winding back the power of the CEO and giving more say to councillors is essential. Mr Behan said he’d like to make life simple for residents when...