By ANEEKA SIMONIS
ONE-TERM councillor Tania Baxter has announced she will not recontest for her Ranges Ward seat at the coming election.
She’s hanging up her public office hat to re-join the education sector.
With 20 years’ of experience as a teacher, Cardinia Shire Councillor Tania Baxter took up casual relief teaching at Beaconhills College in Pakenham 12 months ago.
She said it did not distract away from her council duties, but revived her love for teaching.
She hopes to transition to a full-time role at the school, come the councillor handover at the Saturday 22 October election.
“For me, the time has come to put my energies back into my teaching career and get back into the classroom, full-time. I don’t believe that I can do both 100 per cent, and my family life not suffer in the process, so for me it is a easy decision,” she wrote.
Cr Baxter will renounce her councillor title alongside colleague George Blenkhorn, ending on a high after eight years’ service at 76 years of age.
Her teaching focus has been working with students from Prep to Year 4 – and hopes to reintegrate into that age range.
The Beaconsfield mum has two children who attend the campus, but says they won’t be seeing mum around at lunchtime as the junior and middle school occupy different areas of the campus.
Among her career highlights was taking on the role at the previously all-male council with Mayor Jodie Owen, Cr Leticia Wilmot and Cr Kate Lempriere at the last election and working closely with the Ranges Ward community on issues including the Open Air Burning Policy.
She confidently praised her teamwork with fellow Ranges Ward councillors Cr Brett Owen and Cr Leticia Wilmott during the near four-year stint, and solemnly hopes the ward will be represented by an equally engaged trio in the coming years.
“Ranges Ward has had some excellent representation for the past four years. I don’t say that patting my back, I hear it every day,” she said.
“The team-work is second to none. I don’t want the Ward’s representation to be diminished.”
Nominations for the Cardinia Shire Council election will open on Thursday 15 September and close at noon on Tuesday 20 September.
The election will be a postal vote.
Councillor hopeful Michael Schilling was set to launch his campaign for a Central Ward seat on Saturday 6 August. He’s one of the first to publicly announce their contest for one of Cardinia Shire’s nine councillor roles.
Currently, councillors wishing to stand for re-election will have their attendance record at council meetings available for public scrutiny.
Voters will also have access to more information on newcomers as part of State Government changes to help “lift the standards” at local government elections.
Anyone interested in standing for council election is invited to attend briefing sessions held in August and September, details and dates are at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/election.
