Willem Manley for Wodonga Council | Political candidate

Willem Manley for Wodonga Council

Phone: +61 498 838 822

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24.01.2022 Ballots are arriving! If you believe in the things I stand for, if you believe in accountability and fairness, if you believe in transparency and trust, please consider voting 1 for me. I've included a how to vote card if you're interested in it, however you have no compulsion to follow this at any way, perhaps only using it as a guide. ... The most important thing is to put the number 1 next to me, and to number every single box after that. But if you want transparency, accountability, a pound reopened, or any of the other topics I've pushed for, I cannot do this alone, so please vote for myself alongside Ron Mildren, Libby Hall, Danny Chamberlain, and Beth O'Shea. Thank you all so much for the support throughout the campaign, I'll be crossing my fingers over the next few weeks of voting!

21.01.2022 So very disappointed that my large sign on the main Water Tower Roundabout was stolen. I am young, an independent and pay for everything myself. My sign was the only one removed from the entire area. 20 metres further along the street are other candidates, untouched. Just as the voting slips are being mailed out. Why would I be targeted and no one else? Could it be because someone fears the truth that I’ve been exposing these past few weeks? Could they be scared that if I ...was elected, they will no longer be able to get away with their complete disregard of the rate payer? Or did someone really want to have a massive photo of me in their lounge room? Hahaha. Please vote number 1 Willem Manley and show that bullying and intimidation won’t stop me from standing up for Wodonga’s rights!

20.01.2022 You might be starting to notice some of these popping in to your mail boxes around the town! I’m hard at work running around popping some of these in to letter boxes, with the help of some amazing family and friends. A good excuse to get back in to shape in prep for sport seasons again when they hopefully resume as soon as we return to a more COVID normal. ... If you or someone you know would be keen on helping out and dropping some of these off in your lock area, send me a message! :)

17.01.2022 Another big day of handing out pamphlets! Let’s hope they are worth it! I had the pleasure of talking to many community members this weekend, and it’s made me even more committed to doing what’s right by them, in council. To ensure these amazing residents get the respect they deserve from our local council.

16.01.2022 The Wodonga Council needs to review and rewrite the "Safety, Inclusion and Equity Strategy". https://www.wodonga.vic.gov.au///SEIS_2016_to_2022_web.pdf The well written document references a priority of reducing homelessness. The next policy needs to include more quantifiable and achievable goals related to homelessness and a new priority of affordable housing.... The plan identifies a number of actions and objectives that relate to collection of data, analysing, advocating, exploring, participating, partnering, investigating but no actual doing. Wodonga Council could assist with accommodation services and support with planning policies, regulations to ensure they don't negatively impede the wellbeing of the homeless or those at risk of homeless in our Community. A Charter of Rights could be adopted such as a "Homelessness and Social Housing Charter" with clear principles and commitments. "The most impactful activity that local governments can undertake to reduce homelessness is to support the delivery of homes that people can afford. For the lowest income households most vulnerable to homelessness this means provision of social housing." One of the levers that local government have is the provision of well located land, inclusionary zoning at higher proportions, increase the diversity of dwelling types approval to respond to population demographics and needs. We need leaders and advocates for this change, if elected this will be a major undertaking that I will seek support to review and implement.

16.01.2022 Our winners from the giveaway received their prizes today! Glenn received $50 for Heinrich Bakery Amber received $50 for Miss Amelie... Thanks so much for your support!

15.01.2022 Thank you everyone! It's been a wild journey, and I'm so happy I had the chance to stand for the election for this amazing city. Thank you all, for supporting me in this journey, for telling your family and friends about me. And no matter what the results show in the coming weeks, I'll still be vocal about issues facing Wodonga, and ensure that I hold the Council to account. ... One more time, thank you all so much! It's been an honor to be able to campaign on behalf of this amazing community.

11.01.2022 The recent sale of the Lot 2 at Bandiana was foolhardy. After watching the recent Council YouTube Videos and reviewing the Council Minutes and Agenda I can appreciate that Councillors Libby Hall and Ron Mildren have the community’s best interests at heart and are increasingly the voices seeking further due diligence, collaboration and transparency before decisions are made. These are the three areas that if elected I will strongly represent due diligence, collaboration and ...transparency. The minutes and video identified a sale of Council land to a business for less than the valuation. A second business’s offer was greater, above the valuation and any issues identified reference ‘timeliness’ of the build should have been addressed in a second round of negotiations had that even occured at all. The council accepted an offer for $1.725 million, versus another provider who offered $285k more for the sale of lot 2 from Bandiana. Evidence suggests that the sale process was flawed and the advertising and marketing was limited. Subsequently, only those ‘in the know’ knew about it therefore reducing the value of the opportunity and significantly hindering the chance of increased competition. The Council decided to only have a first round of offers, with no chance for businesses to renegotiate, essentially meaning that whoever had the best offer at the time instantly gets the sale, without a second round of negotiations. Because of this, an inferior, below value proposition was accepted. I am unsure how this provides an appropriate return of investment for the community and rate payers. These councillors did not represent our best interests. Council needs to review this entire process of sale, including how it markets the sale, and how it considers offers. It seems unfair to the rate payers (who have to foot the bill for the below valuation sale), and it seems unfair to the businesses who don’t even get the chance to renegotiate prices, and terms and conditions of the sale. It seems to me that it’s to the benefit of the community and the Council to allow businesses to compete against eachother, consequently meaning the Councillors have the ability to get the best possible deal on behalf of their rate payers. If I have the privilege of being elected, I will do everything I can to ensure the Council is fair and unbiased. I will ensure transparency, due diligence and collaboration occurs before hasty decisions are made that don’t represent us and fail to be in the best interest of the community in which we live. Council agenda: https://www.wodonga.vic.gov.au///7th_september_minutes.pdf

09.01.2022 Everyone should have their ballots around about now! I know many people have already voted, and the support I have received has been overwhelming. I am truly thankful for this amazing town I had the privilege of growing up in, and I hope I have the chance to give back to this fantastic community by representing them on the Council. Here's my how to vote card again as a friendly reminder. You are in no way obligated to vote this way, however this is just how I will be voting after researching my fellow candidates. Thanks again everyone, and I wish my fellow candidates best of luck! Two weeks from now we may know who the lucky few are to become Councillors!

09.01.2022 Wodonga pays rates and in return, we expect care of our lost animals. We expect strays to be saved and relocated to the pound, and not be a burden on our wider community. When was this lost? I believe it was lost when the Wodonga Pound was closed in 2016. I’ve spoken to local veterinarians and heard their concerns and observations recently, and while I’m astounded at how amazing these members of our community are, I’m also disappointed that they are put in this situation. Our... local vets are giving their own free time and resources to the management of lost and injured animals where previously they would be managed by the pound. Rangers are telling locals to take lost animals to the vets for care until time is available for the Ranger to attend to take them across the border. Rangers are telling residents to just let the animal loose and ignore it...when these lost pets were on the freeway! I’ve heard stories where vets have had to turn away stray animals, not out of malice, but out of just not having the resources to be able to care for them. Where the ranger would not come pick up the animal. This is unfair on our vets, and this is unfair on the resident who was just trying to help a lost animal out, but isn’t able to drive 40 minutes to the Albury pound. This needs to change! The Wodonga Pound needs to be reopened so we can return domestic animal services to the Wodonga Council as that’s what we pay rates for. We will alleviate the burden on our veterinarians and volunteer organisations like Wodonga Dog Rescue and Dunroamin. Overhaul the Domestic Animal Management Plan. I cannot do this alone; we need a strong group of outstanding individuals on the Council in order to achieve a majority to make a real change. Leading this charge will be myself, Beth O’Shea, Libby Hall, Ron Mildren and Danny Chamberlain. Please lend us your vote this election, together we can do this. We will do everything in our power to do what’s right by the community, and most importantly, what’s right by the animals, as they deserve kindness and love too. Photo are new born kittens from Wodonga Dog Rescue where I had the pleasure for visiting again yesterday.

07.01.2022 My sign was stolen again! However, I must admire the efforts the thieves went through this time to get a massive 1.8m x 1.2m picture of me for their living room. I used quite a few cable ties, and then reinforced it all with duct tape, and would you believe that the thieves couldn't manage to get it all undone, and instead just decided to cut straight through the sign itself? Take a look at the images! Parts of my sign still remain there!... Applause where it's due, these thieves must have really hated the truth I have been posting, and despised my goals of transparency in the Council. And apparently, they only hated me, as I still see other candidate signs that are untouched, and within 20 meters of mine. These signs cost me directly out of my own pocket, as I am standing independently and doing my best to try and make this town a better place. But again, this won't stop me and it shows that what I'm doing is right! Voting closes on Friday night this week, so get your votes in and show that cheap bullying and intimidation tactics won't work on us!

06.01.2022 With voting underway, I sincerely hope I have the privilege of representing this amazing town. A vote for me is a vote for transparancy, accountability, and for respect. Councillors should be a voice for the rate payers and residents, above all else. Here's a collection of almost every single post I have made so far that will be of interest to the community. You can learn more about me, my policies and ideas, my opinions and the many questions I throw at the current practices... of the Council. Introduction: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/622045858457879 Initial goals: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/622664995062632 Revised goals: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/631659477496517 How to vote card: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/639153873413744 How the Council passes flawed and foolish policy: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/623554161640382 Waste and Rubbish: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/627844307878034 Prime 7 interview: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1040419943081149 Hidden cost of Covid on youth and local sport: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/630804090915389 Questioning the commitment to Wodonga by Albury residents: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/632330014096130 How party politics dont belong in local governement: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/634534663875665 The foolhardy and dodgy sale of Lot 2 at Bandiana: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/636590737003391 The need for an active kids program in Victoria: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/637204023608729 Signs around town: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/624956734833458 Enrolment of candidacy: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/626909174638214 Sign being stolen: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/637903886872076 Mail box drop pamphlets: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/640687383260393 Reopen of Wodonga Pound and overhaul of Domestic Animal Management Plan: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/626392131356585 A follow up to the Pound and Domestic Animal Management Plan: https://www.facebook.com/WillemForWodonga/posts/638511080144690

05.01.2022 We need to get our youth back into local sport clubs and recreational activities in a post COVID world. Youth development organisations like the Scouts and Army Cadets, or the local sporting clubs such as Hockey, Footy, Soccer, and countless more will need support from our local government and state government. NSW has the "Active Kids" program that provides two $100 vouchers for parents, guardians or carers of school-enrolled children.... QLD has a similar program called Fair Play Vouchers, WA has KidSport, SA and NT have Sport Vouchers, and TAS has Ticket to Play. These are great initiatives promoting participation in community sport and recreation by offering financial assistance towards club fees. Where is Victoria's support for our upcoming generation? Sport and other active groups have been some of the biggest impacted areas of our community, and with the loss of income facing workers, some residents may not be able to afford the sometimes expensive costs of participation. If elected, I'll be doing everything in my power and ability to petition the state government for a way to help subsidise our community's return to sport post COVID. Youth sport and youth development is important to our community, and we shouldn't allow them to struggle alone. I will also seek to make the Council Volunteer Program more inclusive to recognise and support volunteers from non-Council delivered programs. (Enjoy this photo of me [left] with a close friend after a sweaty game of cold Hockey in Beechworth haha)