Peter Murrihy elected as Geelong mayor

PETER Murrihy is the new mayor of the City of Greater Geelong, voted in by his fellow councillors during tonight’s (Friday, June 17) special meeting at City Hall.

Cr Murrihy, from the Brownbill Ward, is the 14th mayor since the formation of the amalgamated City of Greater Geelong in 1995.

He replaces Cr Stephanie Asher, who announced she would step down about three weeks after unsuccessfully running as the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Corangamite.

A Newtown resident, Cr Murrihy was elected to the council for the first time in 2017 and served as deputy mayor from the time of his election until October 2019.

He chairs the council’s Economic Development, Heritage, Innovative Solutions, and Leisure and Recreation portfolios, and represents the Council on the Geelong Major Events Committee.

He is also deputy chair of the Tourism portfolio and co-deputy chair of the Arts, Live Entertainment and Hospitality portfolio.

Cr Murrihy will occupy his position until the next scheduled council elections in November.

Cr Trent Sullivan from the Bellarine Ward will continue to serve as the region’s deputy mayor until that time.

Cr Murrihy said he was excited by the opportunity to lead the council.

“I’m thankful for the support of my fellow councillors and really, really excited about this honour.

“It’s not something I ever saw coming in my life, even when I first joined the council. I arrived in Geelong straight out of country Victoria as a 19 year-old and didn’t know one person. So to be in this position now is something I’m proud of.

“I’m excited about what Geelong has to offer. There is a bit of a fog around politically, and I’m hoping my appointment will go a long way to clearing the air.

“The local members of parliament will be the first ones I reach out to for a coffee, to talk about what the future holds.

“I thank my wife and daughters for their support, my siblings, and my 86-year-old mum.

“I also thank Cr Stephanie Asher for her service as mayor, and I look forward to working alongside deputy mayor Sullivan.

“Geelong is a great place with an exciting future, and I’ll be working hard to make sure we achieve our potential

“Gaining this position is one thing – it’s now what happens in the future and I’m looking forward to getting straight to work.”