Bernadene is back!

Councillor Bernadene Voss is again serving as the Mayor of the City of Port Phillip.

A councillor of the Gateway Ward, which includes Fishermans Bend and South Melbourne, Cr Voss was voted in for a fourth time as Mayor at a special council meeting at St Kilda Town Hall on November 13. She previously served as Mayor from 2015-18

Greens Cr Tim Baxter, who serves in the Canal Ward, was elected as Deputy Mayor. Cr Voss replaces Cr Dick Gross as Mayor, while Cr Baxter replaces Cr Louise Crawford as deputy.

Speaking at the meeting, Cr Voss said that while there was more work to be done, she was proud of the council’s achievements over recent years.

Cr Voss foreshadowed “big decisions” would be made on high-profile topics such as childcare, parking and waste management, as councillors entered the final year of their four-year term.

“As we come into the final straight, this year is going to be a tough one. As a Councillor group, we will have to be brave and courageous,” Cr Voss said. “We will need to be connected and listening to our communities as well as looking at what the evidence and research show us.”

“I have full confidence that we, as a council, will continue to work together constructively and continue to represent our community’s diverse views.”