Cr Andrea Metcalf to serve as Mayor, Cr Matthew Evans as Deputy Mayor

Cr Andrea Metcalf of the Whipstick Ward will serve as Mayor of Greater Bendigo City Council for 2021/2022 and will be supported by Cr Matthew Evans as Deputy Mayor.

Cr Metcalf will focus on implementing the Council Plan, economic recovery and delivering a grassroots Budget that delivers much-needed community projects.

“We are very much hoping the best days are ahead of us as we continue to navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, so with that optimism comes opportunity to help our local economy bounce back better than before,” she said.

“We know tourism to our region is driven by events, so we hope to see a great range of new and flagship events fill our community calendar, as well as continued promotion of our City of Gastronomy status to attract people to enjoy our excellent food and wine culture, and we can’t wait to welcome the Elvis Presley: Direct from Graceland exhibition to Bendigo Art Gallery

“Council is also focused on delivering a Budget in line with the recently adopted 10-year Financial Plan and include projects that contribute to achieving the outcomes outlined in the Council Plan, Healthy Greater Bendigo and the Climate Change and Environment Strategy.

“The year ahead also brings with it state and federal elections, so it will be important to advocate for support from other levels of government to deliver our priority projects, including the Bendigo Airport and Bendigo Art Gallery expansions.

“What I am most looking forward to is meeting with our community face-to-face. Although I can understand some people may be nervous to move around, as we start to live with COVID-19, I hope to see more people out and about doing more of what we have missed over nearly two years.

“It is a great honour to be elected Mayor by my Council colleagues and I welcome hearing from residents in the months to come and working with staff to deliver important services, projects and initiatives for Greater Bendigo.”

Cr Matthew Evans is a first-time Councillor and represents the Eppalock Ward.

Cr Evans said he looked forward to working with Cr Metcalf to support achieving good outcomes for the community.

“The year ahead will be a busy one, particularly with two elections, but it represents a great opportunity to advocate for the needs of our residents. In particular, I am passionate about attracting more events to Greater Bendigo, so I hope to see our public spaces and facilities like Bendigo Stadium packed with great events that will entertain our community and attract visitors to our region,” he said.

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