Vincent Branigan has put himself forward as a candidate for Benalla Rural City Council.
Mr Branigan narrowly missed election in 2020, and has decided to run again after encouragement from his peers.
“I have always considered local government to be the most important, because it impacts directly on one’s immediate quality of life,” he said.
He has lived in Benalla for the past 30 years and is involved with many local clubs and groups, including the Benalla Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, of which he was president for 12 years, and as secretary of the All Blacks Football and Netball Club.
He is also president of the Benalla branch of the Saint Vincent de Paul society, and a member of the organising committee for the Benalla Festival.
Primarily, Mr Branigan is a teacher, having taught at Benalla College and FCJ College.
He said teaching had given him a lot of skills he wished to carry over to council.
“Things like teamwork, relating to people and building relationships,” he said.
“One of my mantras growing up was, ‘there’s no I in team’.
“Obviously, you need to have robust discussions, but ultimately, you need to work with people.
“You’ve got to respect their points of view, and particularly if you don’t agree with them, you still need to respect them.”
Another area of interest to him is attracting and supporting local youth, “valuing them and creating a future for them”.
“One of the things that worries me is that a lot of our young people leave Benalla and don’t come back,” he said.
“We need to be more proactive in attracting businesses and employment opportunities for young people in this town.”
If elected, his main priorities will be addressing the cost-of-living crisis, promoting sustainability, attracting investment and supporting developments that attract and support Benalla’s youth such as the Benalla High School site, festivals and sporting facilities.
“Council needs to look at the cost-of-living crisis. I mean, it’s affecting a lot of people, so things like charges, rates, etc: any increases need to be kept to a minimum,” he said.
He also mentioned a push for the revival of the main street.
“There’s no magic wand, (to fix the issue), there’s no easy way out, but council needs to be proactive — to promote Benalla.
“They need to be listening to business people, and speaking with politicians.
“Benalla is a great place to live. We’re only two hours from Melbourne, you can buy a house in Benalla for half of what you would in Melbourne. Why don’t we try and bring that target up here?”