Friday, January 13, 2012
A Star News Group publication
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New principal set for primary role BY MICHELLE HERBISON QUEENSCLIFF Primary School’s uncertainty is over with new principal Jenny Cowburn set to give the school a fresh start in 2012. Point Lonsdale Primary School principal Fay Agterhuis governed both schools in 2011 since Queenscliff PS’s former principal Peter Martella’s resignation. Mrs Cowburn’s appointment has quashed rumours the two schools might be forced to amalgamate. Mrs Cowburn said she was “excited” by the new challenge of running a small school and looked forward to getting to know the students. “My number one priority is to build up relationships with the community.” She said holistic education created global citizens. “The five C’s are really important – creativity, curiosity, collaboration, communication and compassion,” Mrs Cowburn said. About 13 years at Riddells
Creek Primary School gave Mrs Cowburn a wealth of experience managing a school and working as a leading teacher. She said she looked forward to working with Queenscliff’s Marine Discovery Centre to allow students to become “experts in the field” of marine life and environment. Equipped with the skills from organising a successful arts festival at her previous school, Mrs Cowburn said she was keen to immerse herself in Queenscliff’s arts scene. School council member Alex Giannuzzi said she was excited about the “fantastic opportunities” Mrs Cowburn’s first year would bring for Queenscliff’s students. “We’re very lucky with Jenny, she knows it will be a challenge but she is a fantastic teacher with some great experience,” she said. Ms Giannuzzi said rumours of a merge with Point Lonsdale PS had been of little concern. “It was just about finding the right person,” she said.
School’s in: Principal Jenny Cowburn. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 75381
Sides set in Queenscliff councillor stoush
Code charges ‘ludicrous’ fixion. As a former councillor, I think if they fail to prove their case, the chief executive officer and mayor should both resign,” Mr Kenwood said. Queenscliffe council lacked “meaningful debate”, he said. “Cr Mitchell is the only councillor who’s actually asking questions and doing his best to get to the bottom of issues and find out the truth.” Point Lonsdale community
member Rob Wallis described the misconduct allegations as a “character assassination” that sent a message to Cr Mitchell’s voters that their opinions “don’t matter”. “This goes far beyond one man and his reputation. It is about the right of citizens to elect councillors that will represent their interests,” he said. “This is a witch-hunt because he asks hard questions and the others don’t like it.”
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Queenscliffe Mayor Bob Merriman said a code of conduct panel was necessary because the Borough had “exhausted all other options”. “The inefficiencies and waste of time that Cr Mitchell has cost us far outweighs the $40,000. I have had a significant number of people from the community call me and say, ‘well done, it’s about time,’ ” he said. Cr Merriman said problems
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with Cr Mitchell had begun in 2008. “The other councillors ask hard questions as well, but they do so adhering to the code of conduct.” Cr Lloyd Davies voted against the code of conduct panel and said the matter should have remained private. “It’s quite sad that it’s come to this point in Cr Mitchell and Cr Merriman’s relationship.”
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duct panel to investigate Cr Mitchell for eight alleged breaches of the code. The accusations against Cr Mitchell include disrespectful language to fellow councillors, discourteous and intimidating treatment of council staff and acting against the chief executive officer’s advice. “They’ve taken the only effective councillor they’ve got and dragged him off to a public cruci-
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BY MICHELLE HERBISON A CODE of conduct panel to investigate Queenscliffe councillor David Mitchell’s behaviour is based on “ludicrous” charges, according to a former councillor. David Kenwood said council’s “singling out” of Cr Mitchell at last month’s meeting was “smalltown politics at its worst”. Queenscliffe council last month voted for a $40,000 code of con-
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