Former shire councillors acknowledged

Published on 05 April 2022

West Wimmera Shire Council has paid tribute to its previous councillors at a special event in Edenhope on Monday.

The event at Henley Park was attended by many former and current councillors and was a way to acknowledge the years of service, along with the hard work and dedication of these people.

The evening also particularly acknowledged former councillor Warren Wait, who is the longest serving councillor for West Wimmera Shire.

Warren Wait was a councillor for 33 years. He served on the Shire of Kowree from 1977 to 1983 and again from 1986 to 1994.

When Victorian local government areas amalgamated and the West Wimmera Shire Council was formed, Mr Wait served as a councillor from 1997 until his retirement in 2016.

He was president of the Shire of Kowree in 1980 and 1989 and then Mayor for the West Wimmera Shire Council in 1999, 2000, 2005, and 2008.

Council Chief Executive Officer David Bezuidenhout said past councillors were invited to speak at the event.

“Each past councillor spoke highly of Warren and shared their stories of their time on Council with him,” he said.

“We gifted Warren a framed picture of Lake Wallace.”

The evening included a barbecue and drinks.

Mr Bezuidenhout said it was a wonderful way to acknowledge the work of former councillors.

“Everyone who has ever served on either the Shire of Kowree, Shire of Kaniva, or West Wimmera Shire Council has made a significant difference to our communities and helped shaped our shire,” he said.

“We highly appreciated the presence of each and every person who attended.

“It was also very special to have former mayor Warren Wait in attendance, and we thank him for his 33 years of service, which is an outstanding achievement.”

Other former councillors that were acknowledged at the event included Katrina Rainsford (1997 – 2000); Richard Hicks (2016 – 2000); Annette Jones (2012 – 2016); Eveline Van Breugel-Ord (2008 – 2012); Linda Guthridge (2000 – 2008); Carlyne Whitehead (1989 – 1995 Shire of Kowree and 1997 – 2000 West Wimmera Shire); Darren Rayner (2003 – 2012); Ron Hawkins (1995 – 1997 and 2000 – 2016); Geoffrey Carracher (1983 – 1995 Shire of Kowree and 1997 – 2003 West Wimmera Shire).