Election results
Four new councillors for Alpine
Three sitting councillors get the boot
I’ve just got back from the count for the Alpine council elections held at Wangaratta TAFE. The results came through at about 1.30 pm. The new councillors, in order of election with their primary votes in brackets, are:
Jan Vonarx, Myrtleford (1,323)
Peter Roper, Tawonga (1,008)
Nino Mautone, Eurobin/Myrtleford (785)
Daryl Pearce, Wandiligong (676)
Mark Steven, Bright (533)
Tony Keeble, Mt Beauty (527)
Narda Cain, Eurobin/Bright (535)
The above 7 were the leading candidates after primary votes were counted AND after distribution of preferences.
Ray Dyer (the goat man) was next with 463 votes and was the last candidate eliminated. Surprisingly Dyer would probably have made it onto council had it not been for the large number of informal votes that had him at no. 1. It says a lot!
Sitting councillors who missed out were Greg Lee of Mt Beauty (455 votes), Mario Vaccaro of Myrtleford (439) and the long-serving Zuvele Leschen, also from Myrtleford (338 votes).
The most surprising winner would have to be Mark Steven, who is not well known in Bright and has only lived here for a short while. He’s originally from Mt Beauty and has moved around a lot so perhaps his votes came from various parts? It’s a mystery to most of us.
Candidates from the business sector were largely rejected by the voters, with Geoff Scott (357), John Robinson (353) and yours truly (187) finishing down the lower end. OK, I did worse than they did – but the point is that this seems to be a council elected on anti-growth & development grounds.
Save Bright’s Narda Cain finally getting a seat after several attempts confirms that, as does the re-election of Daryl Pearce.
This is not ’sour grapes’ because I went into this election knowing that I had virtually no hope, but I’d suggest that the make up of the new council will be bad news for those hoping there’d be a greater emphasis on economic development, and tourism-related infrastructure projects. And looking at the general state of the economy, I’d say we’re in for a tough time.
Cheers.
Wally says: I'm taking y'all to VCAT, Woolies. Go on, git! Git out of 'my town'.
Contact: alpineopinion@gmail.com
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Aw thats tough, Ray. Better luck next time.
There won’t be a next time, LuLi, but thanks anyway.
Hopefully you can get some closure out of the result Ray. Might be time to play to your strengths again and resume your place as the most unpopular bloke to grace the internet in the Alpine Shire.
Happy to provide an in depth analysis of where you went wrong if you like (in the true spirit of this site), but then you can probably see it all right here in your own archives.
Keep smiling
What an evil comment. I hope it provided you with enough enjoyment to override the fact that you’re obviously an arrogant, rude and spiteful little person.
I’ll forgive your ignorance LuLi as you obviously don’t live here. I take it you haven’t read any of the other comments that Ray has made about others including myself on this site.
You’re right though, i shouldn’t be so rude. Lovely bloke Ray, loves a tall story and a bit of slander/libel here and there but otherwise a top bloke!
Don’t forgive me because I’m not apologetic. I don’t have to live in Bright to know when someone is trolling anothers website. I guess its just a universal sense of courtesy that perhaps skipped a generation in your family. Maybe, if you wanted to write mean things about people you could set up your own blog and fight fire with fire? And then we could all come over to your place and write snarky comments under your pieces of work.
What a shame Ray Dyer missed out! I was hoping for someone with a bit of personality on council. Narda worries me though …. edited ….
Thanks for your support, LuLi, but don’t worry about Lee. Poor boy hasn’t got the brains to realise that I only let his comments through to let everyone see what a mean-spirited and narrow-minded nasty piece of work he is.
Keep going, Lee, you’re the one that everyone laughs at, not me. I told you from the outset I wasn’t going to get elected. At least I had the balls to put myself through the humiliation though, in the slim hope that it might help John or someone else we need on council.
Happy with the result? I suppose you would be, seeing as though it’s a ‘deja vu’ lot we’ve returned (again).
Why don’t you just grow up, mate? Oh, sorry, I forgot about your little ‘problem’.
Donkey: 1 Goat: 0
I’m pleased that Nino Mautone was returned though.
Yes a big ‘donkey’ vote, Noel. But also a pretty big ‘goat’ vote. He was unlucky to miss out, in the end. And I have to wonder if he’d be better than the no. 7 we did get!
so Ray,
what was the overall standing of all the candidates?
It’s all explained above, Wal.
Now can you please let the governers govern like they do in this democratic society.
Certainly, how could I stop them doing that anyway?
By the way, public dissent & criticism of governments & councils is also an integral part of “this democratic society”, or didn’t you know that?
So Ray,
As the results are now being contested, do you think it only proper that Mr Dyer declare the goats involvement in the Alpine Shire election. In all fairness Mr Dyer should consider splitting his votes with the goat, let’s say about 250 each. I’m sure if approached that Mr Dyer would be most obliging as both Mr Dyer & the goat ran a very effective campaign, that was both humorous and humble in its approach.
Unfortunately Ray, placed in the context of the above comment, you clearly polled less than the goats 250__ If adopted by the VEC, would this mean you could possibly go down as setting Australian electoral history by being the only person to be out-voted by a beast.
No hard feelings Ray, Gordons coming around to help out with your blackberry problem and wants to talk about 2012 ticket.
With respect Noel,
Goat 1 vs Ass 0
Frank, Hick, Hill Billy, Retrograde,
Ray Dyer finished 8th – so that means he beat 7 other candidates home, including 3 sitting councillors.
Frankly Frank, I think Ray and his goat probably got the support of people just like him – i.e. people like you!
Hey Frank, you’re a real funny guy, aren’t you?
You think it’s funny to poke fun at candidates who don’t get elected?
Think about this Frank … YOU didn’t have the guts to put your own hand up and subject yourself to the sniggering insults of a*holes like you.
That’s “guts”, Frank, spelt G.U.T.S. … something YOU haven’t got. You haven’t even got the “guts” to comment under your real name.
Show some respect for those who at least tried or go taking a running jump … hillbilly!
We can both commiserate over a beer at Milawa.
Bad luck Ray, it a shame to see the people who would do good for our community be voted out, it just means like you said we won’t move forward for another 4 years again… Shame, will be interesting to see how the re-count goes, lets have our fingers crossed that there is a change….
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I dont understand why some people seem to think that candidates like John Robinson, Zuvele Leschen and Ray Dixon would be good for Bright.
they obviously would support rampant development in the shire which would just destroy this beautiful place. when someone asked me last week if I would be voting for John Robinson, I replied “WHy would I vote for someone who brought something as bland and unimaginative as a Subway to a boutique shop town such as Bright?”
i guess its lucky that the people who think that “going forward” constitutes rapid paced over-development are very few. As the election result very clearly shows.
this team will be good for the shire and I believe will listen much more than the “terrible trio” who thankfully all finished at the bottom of the poll
Speaking for myself, Ruth, I have to say that I DO NOT support ‘rampant development’ and no one – repeat, no one – has done more to stop inappropriate development in Bright than what I have.
Unlike your mob (Save Bright) though, I was successful in halting those developments whereas you and the people you know champion actually failed.
You’ve got it back to front.
Yes Mr Dixon, I acknowledge your good work on Apex. But you missed the mark with the coles development, which by the way is far from a “go-er” as of today
and if so many in Bright wanted the supermarket as you consistently claimed…….dont you think you would have got more than 187 votes??
you seem to be very out of touch Mr Dixon, and I am just so thankful that my prayers were answered and the election result was what it was.
BY the way – if Mr Robinson was such a supporter of business in Bright, why did he put the Subway business on the market a mere few months following opening it?
there seems to have been a hidden agenda from your ticket, which obviously spooked voters
Ruth, I’ll say all this now and, as you can appreciate, I’m not doing it to enhance my credibility (the election is over, I lost so I’m not speaking crap here).
The Apex Hill proposal was by far the worst development ever proposed for Bright. It would have done so much damage to the environment, the amenity and the tourist appeal of Bright as to create an absolute disaster.
I wasn’t alone in that battle so I can’t claim all the credit, but there’s no doubt that I led the group AND that I developed the right strategy and the only strategy that would stop it – by tying the council up inthe FoI case for over 12 months AND by actually winning that case.
The point was that the council could not proceed with its expressions of interest while it was still holding the information secret and defending the case. We put them in a no-win situation by adopting the right strategy.
BUT, there have been several other (less public) successes I have had (or been involved in) that you are obviously not aware of, including matters to do with the Alpine Hotel, the inappropriate proposal on Back Porepunkah Road and the ’boutique pub’ once proposed for the building that 92 on Gavan now occupies. Additionally there have been a number of other small successes in having corrective measures taken against inappropriate developments around town – I just didn’t make a public noise about them, that’s why you’ve only heard about Apex.
As for Coles though, I certainly didn’t “miss the mark” because the fact is that supermarkets ARE appropriate developments in tourist towns. This one is no less appropriate than IGA and probably more appropriate, given that it has its own parking and greatly improves a very ugly site.
There was never any doubt that VCAT would approve it, so to fight it would have been futile. In my opinion we could have got a far better outcome if the Chamber of Commerce had got behind it and worked with the developer not against him. That’s exactly what they should have done because this development will bring massive economic benefits to the town. You guys just got it wrong and went the wrong way about it.
I’m certainly not “out of touch” because I understand the difference between commercial reality and town amenity & character. You HAVE to find the balance, which is what you didn’t do.
By the way, the 3 pro-Save Bright new councillors won’t be able to stop any future commercial developments that comply with the State Planning Act so you won’t get any joy there.
The best way to “protect the character of Bright” is to actually give it some or, more correctly, enhance what we have by fully implementing the public improvements as detailed in the Bright Future Project.
Somehow I doubt that Cain, Pearce & Steven will understand that.
As for Mr Robinson, I’ll let him speak for himself if he wishes, but I’ll just say that businesses are bought & sold all the time and your claim that he has his shop for sale means he does not support business in Bright is just ludicrous.
You’re right about voters being ’spooked’ though. Their fears were unfounded but there’s not much I can do to alter that incorrect perception.
Thankyou for your well thought-out response Ray, however it may not surprise you to hear that I dont agree with most of what you have written.
Firstly, supermarkets are fine but the main issue with the coles proposal was the general layout of the site and in particular the horrible Star Road interface – in fact VCAT didn’t even touch that in their flawed ruling – barely a paragraph in fact.
the developer was never going to work with the community, as was blatantly obvious from the derision they displayed to the community at the first public meeting. you are deluded to think they would have.
Your “massive economic benefit” claim is just as deluded. Why would a supermarket attract tourists??? They come to Bright for the river, the hills, the amenity and the boutique shops. NOT for a supermarket. the Woolworths, if it ever gets off the ground, would merely rob Peter to pay Paul – and make our towns gateway look cheap and garish, PLUS ruin the Star Rd commercial precinct. Yeah, great outcome Alpine shire.
And now the s@#t has really hit the fan with the development. It seems there were too many fingers in the pie, and now at least a few of those hands have been burned, one quite badly. It’s a real shame, because there are so many better things that could be applied to the site that WOULD ENCHANCE THE CHARACTER OF BRIGHT FAR MORE THAN A SUPERMARKET, but in the end the proposal was a greed based deisgn aimed at making the maximum profit from the available footprint.
And Ray, by taking the stance you did, you just showed the community that you’re not interested in amenity or town character, you’re simply either a puppet for the Alpine shire or a receiver of part of the aforementioned pie.
Indeed, if you were “in touch” you would have polled well from Bright. But you didn’t. You finished last. A wise man would learn from that, but something tells me that you wont.
Ruth, just briefly because there’s no point arguing with someone who is as prejudiced and blinded as you are:
1. Save Bright opposed every change ever made and did NOT attempt to find a workable outcome.Your precious Star Road concerns are a joke and no one should really give a stuff about that side street. Maybe if you owned a shop there (maybe YOU do?) then you’d be concerned, but that’s just narrow self-interest. Too bad if you’re looking at a wall – it’s only from a shop!
2. You ask, “Why would a supermarket attract tourists???” Not tourists, Ruth … a supermarket attracts SHOPPERS, and this supermarket will mean the amount of money spent in Bright will approximately double. Where do you think most locals shop now? It’s not in Bright.
3. I have no idea what you’re talking about when you say, “And now the s@#t has really hit the fan with the development” and I’d suggest you have no idea either. As for putting something else on the site the fact is we live in a democracy and you CANNOT dictate what a developer must build on his freehold commercial site. I’d suggest you stop dreaming.
4. I’m obviously far more interested than most people in the amenity & character of the town – but trying to explain that to you is a waste of good cyber-space.
5. I’m no one’s “puppet” and I am not connected to the development. That is just a piss-poor and unfounded assertion.
That’ll do “Ruth”, you’re just going around in circles and blaming me for YOUR failure to stop the development (which couldn’t be stopped anyway!) Go away please.
If there’s no point in arguing, then why did you argue?
You’re not learning are you Ray?
Maybe YOU should go away. A long way away.
Ruth, This is Ray’s blog, he’s the centre of it’s little bloggy universe. If you’ve got a problem with that, then you probably need to get out more.
I didn’t “argue”, Ruth, I merely responded to your assertions. You’re the one arguing. Btw, you have no right to pry into the personal affairs of others such as Mr Robinson and/or to suggest where I choose to live. That’s just obnoxious behaviour and says more about you than about those you try to denigrate.
Kieran – in my limited experience on the internet, it’s my belief that bloggers need to get out more!
Ray – in what way did I pry into Mr Robinsons affairs? I questioned his commitment to business in Bright which is more than fair in the context of a local election. And as for where you choose to live – it was merely wishful thinking on my behalf that you take your caustic attitude and bigoted views away from this beautiful place.
Ruth, I would point out that Nino Mautone did support the Coles development and received a boost in his primary vote.
I don’t know why I get singled out for attack on this issue – I was one of five councillors to vote for it, I didn’t do it all by myself, and my decision was based on the advice of our planning department, which was endorsed by VCAT (in other words, the council made the right decision).
I was, however, the only councillor to explain my vote to the public. If that means I didn’t get re elected, then you’re saying that councillors who don’t tell the ratepayers the reasons for their decisions are preferable to those who do.
Ruth, you said of Mr Robinson, “…why did he put the Subway business on the market a mere few months following opening it?”, and that IS a highly personal question and has absolutely nothing to do with his decision to stand for council. Did you ask why Daryl Pearce sold his business too, just a few months ago? No, and that’s because it’s simply NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
You might think I have a “caustic attitude and bigoted views” but that’s just your prejudiced opinion. You really are an insulting (and cowardly) person to go around making slurs like that under an alias. Now just keep your narrow-minded personal insults off my website please, or I’ll have to do it for you.
Okay Zuvele, Nino got a boost, but all the others went down.
Do you think maybe you got singled out for attack because you were so vocal pushing the development on both the radio, and via your ‘alias’ Dawson?
The “right decision” Zuvele is one that represents the community – VCAT and local planning laws aren’t equiped for that. Thats what councillors are supposed to be there for. And you weren’t for Bright – Rays poor showing at the polls proves how unpopular the development is.
You have just basically said that what you did as a councillor is act as a rubber stamp.
And Zuvele, voting against a family that has been in the Buckland valley for over 100 years (a few weeks ago) when all they wanted was to come back and live on the land their ancestors resided on possibly lost you a few Bright votes as well.
Bright needed better representation and now we’ve got it.
Zuvele, I really did admire the way that YOU were the only councillor prepared to publicly defend/explain the council’s decision on the Coles development. Someone had to and it certainly wasn’t going to be the Mayor at the time (Daryl Pearce) or the Deputy Mayor (Jan Vonarx) who, as you point out, wouldn’t even explain the reasons behind their vote.
Ruth, you’d have a lot more credibility and a lot more right to be so critical of others, if you did it under your own name. If you want to keep up the personal stuff then don’t use an alias.
What stands out to me is that you are so one-sided and biased against anyone who believes that the Coles development is a good thing for Bright. It’s YOU who has the narrow point of view though, because you can’t accept that others are also entitled to their opinions. You’re also putting far too much weight on the one issue, as well.
Anyway, my point is this: unless you lighten up and start showing some respect for other people, then you’ve just made your last ever comment here. Don’t try a typical nasty response – it won’t get through. Be respectful please.
Er.. Ruth, I think you’ll find the whole point of the Buckland decision was that they didn’t reside on the land. If the land had had a dwelling on it, there would have been an argument of prior right (still wouldn’t have held up). It was land that had remained undeveloped for over a century.
So, in other words, I was voting to preserve what was already there (and against inappropriate development), the opposite (I would have thought) of development at all costs.
As for being singled out for attack – yes, I realise that it’s because I explained my decision that I’ve been attacked (as I made clear in the earlier post). My question to you was is that what you want in councillors – that those who front up to the public and explain why they did what they did get punished, and those who stay silent get rewarded?
I was advised at the time of the Coles vote to not attend the council meeting, as my stance might affect the Labor party vote in the Federal election. I saw that as cowardly, an abrogation of my duty as a councillor. You obviously would have seen it as a good move.
Oh, and BTW – I didn’t lose votes in Bright, because I didn’t have them.
If you look at the electoral history of the shire, Bright people vote for Bright candidates, Myrtleford people vote for Myrtleford and Kiewa Valley people for the Kiewa Valley. This election doesn’t indicate anything’s changed.
I lost because I didn’t campaign in Myrtleford. Last time I didn’t campaign, I got 360 votes. I didn’t campaign this time and I got 360 votes. End of story.
There are over 8000 votes in the Shire. Only 2500 of them are from Bright. It’s NOT the centre of the universe, as so many on this blog seem to believe.
Sorry, 338.
Actually, had a quick look at the figures from last election to this and I don’t think Coles affected the votes significantly at all – certainly not to the extent of deciding who got up or not. May have firmed some up, perhaps, but no discernable trend to or from candidates according to their known stance. The business vote in Bright doesn’t seem to have changed much, just divided amongst more candidates (and would suggest having John in the race is the main cause of Ray’s decline in votes, rather than Coles).
Well, I agree with you on that point Zuvele, that John & I shared much the same vote. 355 + 187 = 542, and that’s about the extent of business support in Bright. I’m not making excuses for myself, but John & I campaigned on a vote 1 Robinson, 2 Dixon, or 1 Dixon, 2 Robinson platform, and I’d be pretty sure that a very high percentage of John’s votes had me at 2. In fact Leanne scrutineered and confirmed that nearly every vote for John that she saw had me at 2.
I realise it wasn’t exactly the ’smart’ way to go but we didn’t have much choice. We planned to get at least one of us elected, it’s as simple as that. I reckon we fell no more than 100 votes short of that, considering the arranged preferences.
I doubt the Coles issue had any impact on your vote and perhaps what happened was that Geoff Scott and you shared much the same vote too.
Pity about the recount and the non-inclusion of something like 75 votes at the Myrtleford P.O. that were supposed to be picked up on Friday but weren’t, despite one councillor/candidate advising the CEO and the VEC that they were there and requesting that they be picked up by courier. It could have made a big difference to Scott & Vaccaro.
There is not much point worrying about the Myrtleford Post Office votes. It was always made clear that votes would not be counted if they were not at Wang or Alpine Shire booth by (I think) 6pm Friday. Ray, Zuvele, Mario, and I were all at the VEC briefing when this issue was highlighted. I am aware of a number of Mt. Beauty people who read the instructions and drove to Bright to deliver their ballots. The VEC need a cut-off time and Friday is it.
Maybe it says something about those 75 people!! It is the same thing as arriving at the polling booth after it closes for a federal election. Stiff luck – they missed their chance to participate in this strange thing we call democracy!!!
Ray – I made exactly the same ’smart’ call with regard to Geoff and for much the same reason!
Greg, the candidate’s concern is that in past elections a courier was sent to pick up those votes, so he requested that be done again. He apparently made that request on the Thursday and again on the Friday, but did not receive advice until after the close of voting that they had decided not to pick them up.
Attention “Ruth”
I didn’t put your most recent comment through because, as usual, you continue to launch personal attacks on individuals, whilst hiding behind an alias. I tried to send you this email below but (not surprisingly) you’ve given a fake email address too. Here it is:
Dear “Ruth”,
You just don’t get it, do you? You are making highly personalised remarks about individuals, while using an alias yourself.
“Dawson” did not make any personal remarks, and neither did I.
My “hillbillies” labelling was not aimed at any individuals and was light-hearted (humorous according to most people).
Whoever you are you strike me as a rather snarly, nasty & narrow-minded ‘little’ person. Your constant denigration of people like Zuvele Leschen, who gave 9 years of dedicated service to this community, is highly disrespectful.
Get some manners or stay the f**k away from my website.
Ray Dixon
Back to the actual result, do I read it right?
Alpine Shire has gone from having four Myrtleford councillors to two;
Mount Beauty has gone from one to two;
Bright has gone from one to three.
I originally opposed ridings. This outcome reinforces their necessity, in my opinion as someone who follows politics around Australia.
Myrtleford will feel very disgruntled for the next four years, which will undermine the stability of the shire.
Jan Vonarx works hard in the community and that obviously paid dividends again.
Bad luck to Zuvele. I know she works hard too, but her vote will fluctuate with the Labor Party’s because of her affiliations.
It’s interesting that business candidates like yourself, John Robinson and Geoff Scott didn’t get in. I can’t explain that, but it obviously has ramifications.
Four-year terms suck as well, I reckon.
Hi Michael, you’ve nearly read it right, except Mt Beauty had two in the previous council as well (Best & Lee).
It’s debatable if Bright actually has any councillors, as Daryl is from Wandi, Narda from Eurobin and Mark Steven is hardly known in Bright and is more affiliated with Falls Creek, Mt Hotham & Mt Beauty.
I suppose Daryl is the closest thing we really have to a Bright councillor (again). Some would suggest Narda is more Bright as she has a shop here, but her allegiances are more widespread than that, in my opinion. Incidentally she only got in because so many candidates put Ray Dyer at 15 – Narda got in on 13th & 14th preferences.
Yeah, I think anyone pro-business, pro-tourism and/or pro-economic development is a real ‘no-no’ around here. It’s interesting that I’ve gone from over 900 votes in 03 when I was seen as against development, to under 200 when I’m seen as in favour of it (a la Coles).
But I really thought John Robinson would do a lot better and would have got in on my preferences. I also think Geoff Scott’s result is the most amazing. Here’s a man who, in my opinion, has done far more for his community than Vonarx & Mautone combined, yet he was ‘kicked in the guts’ by his home town because he’s seen as pro-tourism in a town that doesn’t want it.
In hindsight I shouldn’t have bothered standing but I just thought that there was ’some chance’ of tourism/business operators finally getting a voice on councl. I was wrong.