Farewell for Councillor Sue Whitington

Along the way, she developed good working relationships with other Elected members, staff and volunteers and saw them as her team-mates rather competitors or people who got in the way of serving her community.

In the cut and thrust of local government politics, Sue had a great knack of rising above the chaos and blocking out the noise, especially at election time.

She was disciplined in her doorknocking and duly followed-up on issues raised by residents.

This attention to detail was one of her defining characteristics.

This responsive representative brought electoral success; Sue was re-elected in 2003, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018.

And in November 2022, she was elected unopposed to a seventh term on Council.

In my view, being elected unopposed speaks volumes for Sue’s performance and the esteem in which she is held by the residents and ratepayers of her ward.

Sue’s love for being on Council and the community she served is obvious to everyone who knows her. 

As we saw only a couple of months ago when she received her certificate for 25 years of service to our Council, her commitment to the Eastern Health Authority (EHA) was amazing and her passion for the arts and cultural heritage cannot be faulted.

Rarely have I seen an Elected Members assume a role on Council that aligned with their professional work so seamlessly as Sue did when she took on the role of Chair of the Eastern Health Authority.

And she did it with aplomb – as we all knew she would - and she was chair of EHA for over a decade.

There are many things that impressed me about Sue as an Elected Member, but what impressed me the most was she showed a genuine interest in what was going on in every part of our city.

She saw the broader community value and benefit of projects and initiatives outside of her own ward and she supported them accordingly and whole-heartedly.

These included the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre redevelopment and upgrades to Burchell Reserve, St Peters Street and Dunstan Adventure Playground to name a few.

She always saw Norwood Payneham & St Peters as one city and she served all residents based on that noble principle.

In doing so, she became an exemplar of how an Elected Member should approach their roles and responsibilities; one eye on your ward and the other on the rest of the Council area. 

I hope that balanced approach serves as an inspiration for us all for the rest of this term and beyond.

Of course, even Sue would admit that it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

She did, after all, have Paul Wormald as a co-Councillor for many years.

For those who know Paul, he is an irrepressible force of nature and keeping him in check at Council meetings was no mean feat.

“Now, Paul I need you to focus,” she would say while Paul was juggling umpteen ideas in his head.

More often than not, Sue succeeded when the occasion required, and for that we all sincerely thank you!

But as we all know, time brings change.

On the afternoon of 7th July, I received a telephone call from Sue’s partner, Peter Austin advising me that Sue would be resigning from Council.

As you can imagine, this would have been a very difficult call for Peter to make and he made it with Sue at his side.

In characteristic fashion, Sue’s concern was not for herself but for her community and the Council she has faithfully served for more than 25 years.

She wanted to get the timing of her resignation right so the supplementary election for her ward could hopefully coincide with that of the St Peters Ward.

I told Peter that I was devastated it had come to this and impressed on him how his love and care for Sue during this difficult time has been inspirational and together, they have both shown enormous courage and resilience.

Peter, you and I served briefly together on Council during the first term of the newly amalgamated Council between 1997 and 2000.

Back then, I regarded you a person of great integrity, honour and compassion – my views about you have been re-affirmed many times over.

I have seen these qualities shine through in the way you have loved and cared for Sue.

I finished what was an obviously emotional moment for us both by telling Peter that Sue will always have a place in my heart, and I encouraged him to contact Lisa Mara regarding advice on the timing of her resignation and any effect it may have the decisions of the Electoral Commission of South Australia regarding the upcoming supplementary election.

On a personal note, Sue has been a great friend to me and my family.  

My wife, Pina and I, have always appreciated her care and concern for our three children; Isabella, Christian and Charlotte – from their birth to the present day.

Sue would often ask about them and would give them birthday cards.

She showed the sort of love and affection a grandmother would show her grandchildren.

As recently as this morning, Isabella – our eldest - enquired about Sue and how she is going and asked me to say ‘Hi.”

Sue, Pina and I would like to personally thank you for the attention you gave to our children.

It means a lot to us, and you mean a lot to them.

Sue, you have touched the lives of so many people in this room and in the community.

Few people get the opportunity to serve on Council at all, but you won seven elections, and for that you should be extremely proud.

You can rest assured that your attentive and compassionate representation has not gone unnoticed by the people who matter.

Your legacy will continue to inspire those who aspire to represent this city on Council.

I am sure all Elected Members and Council staff join me in thanking and congratulating you for your dedication and selfless service over the past 25 years.

We wish you and Peter all the best as you start the next chapter in your lives.

Mayor

Rober Bria