New Boddington councillors eye growth

Samreid Manez and Ian Webster will fill the vacant seats on the Shire of Boddington council after an extraordinary election held in the wake of a flurry of resignations. Cr Manez, believed to be the youngest councillor in the Shire’s history, received the most votes last month with 312. “I’ve lived here since I was a kid, and it was really nice to be supported like that,” he said. “Everywhere I go now, people are coming up to me and congratulating me.” Cr Manez runs an education technology start-up, ManezCo. He said he would love to see more focus on tourism and events which draw people into the town. He also said he wanted to see the town move in a more modern and sustainable direction. “Often times in this sort of role people prefer those with a lot more experience, but I think they’ve seen that I will hopefully bring some fresh ideas to the town as well as represent the younger demographic, which is really important.” Cr Webster, who received 180 votes, said he was thrilled with the opportunity to make a greater contribution to the Shire. The emergency services volunteer also hoped to see more focus on tourism and initiatives to provide more economic stimulus. “Cr Manez and I have spoken, and we really want to get feedback from the community on what they want, and really try to get the community involved,” he said. “We’re open to all ideas down here to try to increase the opportunities for the local businesses.” Shire president Garry Ventris said all three candidates seemed very promising and it was a shame all three of them could not be on the council. “We’ve already had our first council meeting, and both new councillors are really proving themselves to be part of the team,” Cr Ventris said. “They’re both just really happy to be on council, which is great to see because we’ve got a different approach now. “We’re moving forward from the way things have been in the past.” The term of both councillors will be a year long, before ordinary council elections are held next year. Former Shire president Rod McSwain and fellow councillor William McGrath quit the council after the resignation of former chief executive Chris Littlemore in May.