A CITY of Greater Bendigo councillor has notched up a major milestone in service to the community.<\/p>\n
Cr Rod Fyffe was first elected to the old City of Bendigo council in 1983 and apart from a short break following statewide municipal amalgamation in 1994, he\u2019s served as a City of Greater Bendigo councillor since 1996.<\/p>\n
Now, in recognition of his 37 years of public service, Cr Fyffe\u2019s has received an award from the Municipal Association of Victoria.<\/p>\n
The nod, which acknowledges 35 years as a councillor, should have happened two years ago, however the pandemic delayed the celebration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a wonderful privilege to serve the community of Greater Bendigo,\u201d Cr Fyffe said<\/p>\n
\u201cOver this period there has been amazing change and growth for our city and region, and I have very much enjoyed the opportunity to be part of steering the ship and contributing to a range of important decisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been many highlights but placing the Aboriginal flag permanently on the Bendigo Town Hall is definitely one, along with overseeing the citizenship ceremony for basketballer Kelsey Griffin after a Spirit game, and meeting model Jennifer Hawkins at the Bendigo Art Gallery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a range of planning matters but perhaps the biggest one, in terms of submissions to council, was the supermarket on Howard Street in Epsom.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time it was very divisive in the community but people have come to accept the decision. It is always a balance but the decision making has to be guided by what is best for the community overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a councillor is still a role I greatly enjoy and I am continually proud of the way council and the organisation work together to serve the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cr Fyffe has been the mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo four times and received a Medal in the Order of Australia in 2013.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A CITY of Greater Bendigo councillor has notched up a major milestone in service to the community. Cr Rod Fyffe was first elected to the old City of Bendigo council in 1983 and apart from a short break following statewide municipal amalgamation in 1994, he\u2019s served as a City of Greater Bendigo councillor since 1996. […]<\/p>\n