Shire of Dardanup president Mick Bennett continues role unopposed

Shire of Dardanup president Mick Bennett has been given the tick of approval to continue in the top role. The Dardanup Shire Council held a special council meeting on Wednesday to swear in the elected councillors and determine who would serve as Shire president and deputy for the next two years. After receiving a nomination from fellow councillor Peter Robinson, Cr Bennett was elected Shire president unopposed. This is Cr Bennett’s 11th term as Shire president, having first taken on the role in 1995. He went on to serve as Dardanup Shire president for 10 years until he took a break from the council in 2005 before returning in 2009 and was elected back into the top role in 2011. During the meeting, he thanked his fellow councillors for their ongoing support of him throughout the years. “I have been in this Shire president’s role for a long time so I thank you all for your continued support,” he said. “I hope that we can have a pretty good couple of years while I’m in the chair. “Your support is well thought of by me and well respected by me.” It was a two-person race for the deputy president role with Tyrell Gardiner and newcomer Ellen Lilly nominating for the position. Cr Gardiner was elected 6-3. During his nomination, Cr Gardiner expressed a desire to go to the next level of local government having been heavily involved within the Dardanup Shire Council and the community for a number of years. Along with the election of Shire president and deputy Shire president, councillors Bennett, Gardiner, Janice Dow, Luke Davies and Ellen Lilly were officially sworn in as elected councillors. In the recent local election, Cr Bennett topped the poll with 1749 votes, followed closely by Lilly who managed 1707 votes in her first campaign. Cr Dow placed third with 1528 votes, followed by Cr Gardiner with 1464 votes and Cr Davies with 1429 votes. Long-time councillor Carmel Boyce was the only sitting councillor who was unable to retain her seat, falling just short with 1226 votes, followed by Annette Webster who polled 982 votes and Frank Faulkner with 832 votes.