Valedictory Speech 2025

By any measure, I believe the achievements of this year tell a story of a team firmly in control of the game with a big final term in front of it.

It is, therefore, appropriate to pause and reflect on some of our achievements during the ‘third term”:

• hosted stage 2 of the 2025 Tour Down Under;
• held Australia Day celebrations;
• held three community concerts as part of the ‘Concerts in the Park’ series;
• held the St Peters Fair;
• partnered with Com.It.Es and the Italian Consulate in South Australia to install a Red Bench near the Fogular Furlan Club, Felixstow to honour the memories of victims of domestic violence – the first Council in South Australia to do so:
• participated in South Australia Living Artists (SALA) event;
• hosted the 8th Eastside Business Awards with 9,265 votes cast;
• hosted two matches at the Norwood Oval and a Long Lunch on Osmond Terrace as part of the 2025 AFL Gather Round, which resulted in $15.6 million of expenditure in our city over three days, including $1.2m from interstate visitors;
• commenced Stage 4 of the $20million Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Project, with the redevelopment of St Morris Reserve due later this month;
• planted more than 500 trees;
• commissioned the Council’s 5th Quadrennial Major Artwork;
• hosted the 2025 ‘Raising the Bar’ event with 923 people in attendance;
• continued our participation in the Eastern Business Advisory Service, with 44 of the 153 business owners involved coming from our city;
• implemented a 40kph speed limit in a number of suburbs;
• installed new playgrounds at Bridge Street (Payneham) and Broad Street (Marden);
• celebrated National Volunteers Week with a barbecue lunch at Linde Reserve, Stepney;
• hosted Her Excellency, The Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia and Mr Rod Bunten on a tour of our city;
• completed 75% of the new Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre development;
• held the mid-year and end-of-year networking functions for our local business community attended by more than 220 local business owners;
• hosted Year 4 students from Loreto College and Prince Alfred College on tours of the Norwood Town Hall;
• protecting 20 properties with Local Heritage listing and introduced additional character overlays in Marryatville as part of the Interwar Heritage DPA;
• commenced the George Street upgrade;
• recorded 16 consecutive months (August 2024 – November 2025) as the Number 1 Council in Australia for having the lowest risk of business failure;
• conducted five (5) Citizenship Ceremonies, which saw more than 200 people become Australian Citizens;
• held the annual Christmas Pageant attended by 15,000 locals and visitors;
• hosted the Annual Volunteers Christmas Dinner with 36 volunteers receiving Years of Service Awards ranging from 5 – 20 years; and
• adopted the Volunteering Strategy.

By any measure, this is an impressive list of achievements to meet the objectives of City Plan 2030, but more importantly these achievements are making a practical difference to the everyday lives of our resident and business communities.

Moreover, we have only achieved this impressive record because we have worked together and remain totally focused on the agenda. 

At the same time, we cannot ignore the multiple challenges which continue to confront us as a Council and as a community.

The uncertain economic environment in particular continues to be an ongoing concern and will no doubt have an impact on the Council’s decisions for the foreseeable future.

However, I believe an equally important challenge is the declining level of civility in the body politic and the community at large.

Being an Elected Member of a Council has its difficulties and being an Elected Member of this city brings added layers of complexity and scrutiny, whether we like it or not.

Criticism is never far away; sometimes it’s warranted, sometimes it’s not but that is the nature of elected office. As hard as it might be, we must always strive to be the ‘adults in the room’, rise above the fray, take the ‘slings and arrows; that come our way and put kindness and respect at the heart of our interactions with our community and with each other.

And while we can justifiably be proud that we have not experienced the behavioural issues other councils have, we must remain vigilant to uphold a high standard of behaviour which has set us apart within the Local Government sector, and which our community can be proud of.

As we all know, reputations aren’t built overnight – they take years.

Over the years, we have remained consistent in our efforts and earned credibility in the process by continually ‘showing up’ and doing the hard things, day in, day out, especially when no-one is watching.

Engaging with Mayors on a regular basis, both metropolitan and regional, let me assure you this Council has a reputation for consistency and credibility, stability and civility, respect and results, not to mention genuine admiration and dare I say it, envy, for the manner in which we deliver major projects and major events. 

Now for the ‘thank you’s’.

There are a number of people I would like to thank for their support during the past year.

Firstly, to all Elected Members. Thank you for your efforts during what has been an extremely busy and challenging year.

Your dedication to the task, given the other commitments, both personal and professional, which take up your time, in sincerely appreciated.  People often underestimate the time commitment required to be an Elected Member, and I acknowledge your commitment to serving our community has not wavered.

I have particularly appreciated Elected Members representing me – and by extension the Council – at different community events, ANZAC Day Dawn Services and Armistice Day Services.

It is important that wherever and whenever possible, the Council’s presence is not only seen and heard but also felt.  I know that organisations across the Council area appreciate the Council’s interest in and support for their respective activities, events and presentations.

On behalf of all Elected Members, I want to thank the Executive Leadership Team, led by the Chief Executive Officer. Mario, we are fortunate to have a Chief Executive Officer of your experience and calibre, which has contributed to the stability of this council.

I know I speak for all Elected Members in saying their leadership, advice and follow-up on issues is highly valued and greatly appreciated.

One of the hallmarks of this Council is the professional working relationship between Elected Members and Council staff, particularly senior staff and having easy access from the ‘open door policy’ is a privilege we are grateful for but should never abuse.

Thank you, Lisa, Natalia, Jared, Andrew, Carlos, Skye and Alli for your leadership during the year.  We are fortunate to have such an experienced and talented senior management team support the Council.

To all Council staff, I thank them for their efforts throughout the year. Working for a fast-paced Council such as this one cannot be easy but the manner in which they have conducted themselves with diligence and professionalism is a source of inspiration and pride. 

As many of us experienced last week, our city is blessed to have an amazing group of volunteers – many who do not live in this Council area - who work for a cause, not applause. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and are indispensable partners in our collective objective, which is to improve the welfare of the people of our city who we have the honour to serve.

I know all Elected Members and Council staff join me in saluting their work – the 10,582 hours of time they donated this year – and again congratulate the 36 volunteers who were recognised for Years of Service at the Volunteers Christmas Dinner.

To my fellow Mayors, particularly those from Eastern Region Alliance (ERA) Councils, I thank them their support during the year. Our monthly breakfasts are a great opportunity to share stories and seek each other’s counsel, and I look forward to working with them again next year.

I also want to thank the Independent members of the Audit & Risk Committee, Business & Economic Development Advisory Committee, Traffic Management & Road Safety Committee, and the Council’s Assessment Panel. Their skills, knowledge and experience are highly valued and welcomed in the decision-making processes of those committees.

To the state and federal parliamentarians whose electorates traverse our Council boundaries: Hon Vincent Tarzia MP (Member for Hartley and Leader of the Opposition); Cressida O’Hanlon MP (Member for Dunstan); Jack Batty MP (Member for Bragg); Claire Clutterham MP (Federal Member for Sturt) and James Stevens (former Federal Member for Sturt), I extend my gratitude on behalf of our city for their support and advocacy of the Council and its strategic objectives.

To the people of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, I thank them for their participation in consultations, attendance at events, interest in Council’s decisions, investment in local business and being active citizens in holding the Council to account.  Without you, there is no Council.

I also want to extend a special thank you to two people I deal with daily.

The first is Lucinda, who went on Maternity Leave in July to have her first child.  Lucinda is a true professional and her grace and can-do attitude is greatly appreciated.

The second is Giulia, who effortlessly and seamlessly picked up where Lucinda left off and took to the role as acting Executive Assistant to the CEO and Mayor with confidence, poise, efficiency and humour.

Thank you, Lucinda and Giulia for your professionalism and attention to detail. I am sincerely grateful for all they do - without stress, drama or complaint - to help me perform my duties as Mayor.

To Tina and Marina, I extend the thanks of all Elected Members for their dedication for taking the Minutes at Council meetings and organising our meals. Both are loyal and long-serving members of the Council team and their commitment to the organisation is highly valued and very much appreciated.

Finally, I thank my wife Pina, and our children: Isabella, Christian and Charlotte for their unwavering love and support, as well as that of my extended family.

The past twelve months have been personally very challenging for me and I have only been able to get through it because I have them at the centre of my life.

My family is everything to me – as I know yours is to you - and the last 12 months have reinforced to me how important it is to have people you love and who love you by your side when things aren’t quite going your way.

On that note, I sincerely thank the partners and families of all Elected Members and Council staff for their love and support of you to exercise your important roles and immense responsibilities.

And as I say every year, it is family not Council, that should be the most important thing in your life and if they’re not, I strongly encourage you to review your priorities.

As we all know, 2026 is an election year, a time when the voters of our city get the opportunity to pass their judgement on the performance of this Council.

With that comes the temptation to put your foot on the brake in the belief major decisions, projects, or policies should be left to the next Council to make.

I believe adopting this approach would not only irresponsible and unprofessional but a betrayal of our community.

They have not elected us to govern for three years but until the very end of this four-year term. 

Next year is therefore not the time to delay, defer or dither, but instead plant our foot on the accelerator until we get to the finish line.

There is still a lot of work ahead of us and the expectation of our community is that we do it, without regard to the election timetable or our individual political fortunes.

As such, I look forward to the next 12 months with a great sense of excitement and anticipation.

Let’s continue to work together to make sure 2026 is not only the final year of this Council term but also the best.

On behalf of my family, I wish you and your families, friends and loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.