Mayor's Column – 24 March 2022

Published on 24 March 2022

Cr Ross Ebbels headshot

Dear residents, ratepayers and visitors to the Borough of Queenscliffe.

 

In this fortnight’s Mayor’s Column, I’ll be paying tribute to Councillor Susan Salter, who sadly passed away last week following a period of illness. I send my deepest condolences to her family and friends and wish them strength throughout this difficult grieving process. I am certain that in the coming weeks and months I will continue to hear stories from the many people across the Bellarine and beyond whose lives have been enriched by Cr Salter at some point.

When I was first elected to Council in 2016, Cr Salter had already been serving our community for a full four-year term. Her experience was invaluable to learn off as I began to understand the inner workings of Council operations. I watched on as Cr Salter was declared Mayor for 2017–18, just the fifth female Mayor across more than 150 years of the Borough’s existence. Again, the leadership and organisation she displayed during her tenure has been of great benefit during my own time as Mayor. I have lost a great colleague and a true friend.

Cr Salter’s passion and dedication to improving the lives of those living in and visiting Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale was evident throughout her near-decade of service. She was only too happy to liaise with residents on pressing issues and convey that feedback to Council in an informative and timely manner. While big-ticket items such as the Queenscliff Sports & Recreation Precinct upgrade were completed under Cr Salter’s watch, she spent just as much time ensuring that even the smallest of Council’s services were delivering outcomes for our townspeople. Cr Salter has left a proud legacy and a better Borough in her wake.

Cr Salter’s affinity for the environment came across in many of her contributing projects on Council, namely the Avenue of Honour restoration program. Her powerful, emotional speech made while moving a motion for Council to declare a climate emergency in late 2019 will also live on long in the memories of the hundreds who attended the Town Hall that night. Of course, future generations of the Borough were always at the heart of Cr Salter’s decision-making – influenced by her connections to countless students through her teaching at Queenscliff High School and Bellarine Secondary College.

Cr Salter has left a lasting legacy at the Borough of Queenscliffe and will be deeply missed by myself, her fellow Councillors, Council officers and the wider community. Vale Susan Salter.

 

Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe

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