Voss re-elected Mayor

Cr Bernadene Voss has been returned as City of Port Phillip Mayor following October’s council elections.

Joining Cr Andrew Bond as one of the only two returning councillors from the previous term, Cr Voss was re-elected at the November 10 council meeting.

Addressing the meeting, she said she was honoured to resume the role.  

“I am humbled by your faith and I know, as a team, we will see out this first 12 months strongly while we establish our council plan and the first budget for our term,” she said.

“I am particularly excited by this new team of nine councillors. We have spent the last two days together working on our values and behaviours and we want to work as a group.”  

Changes by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) to the city’s electoral wards have led to the creation of three new electoral wards of Canal, Lake and Gateway, which covers the Montague Precinct of Fishermans Bend.  

Having previously comprised seven councillors across seven individual wards, the City of Port Phillip is now home to nine councillors who represent the three new wards.

The three councillors representing Gateway (Montague) include Cr Marcus Pearl, Mayor Voss and Greens councillor Ogy Simic.

Another new Greens councillor Katherine Copsey, who represents Lake Ward, was elected as deputy mayor at last month’s meeting.

She told the meeting she was grateful for the opportunity to serve in the role and was confident the new council could work together towards a shared vision.

“It is an honour to accept the role of deputy mayor,” she said. “I hope I can use this role to help make Port Phillip’s example of local democracy at work a reason for people to get involved and stay involved.”