Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Today's blog: Vale Deputy Mayor of Launceston, Alderman Jeremy Ball


 


 

Today’s blog is a bit late and for good reason.  News of the untimely death of Alderman Jeremy Ball of Launceston City Council in a car accident has hit like a medicine ball in the gut.

Here is the loss of someone who personified all that is good in local government, and the sort of people we all want and need to represent us in local government.  I can understand how Mayor Van Zetten needed some time alone on hearing of the loss of Jeremy.  All the good adjectives over the coming days will be used to describe Jeremy; my choice is “loyal”.  Not only as Deputy Mayor of Launceston, but to the city and local government and to the State he’d chosen to live in. 

Jeremy took the wider view when it came to the Hobart-Launceston Memorandum of Understanding, and knew it wasn’t all about the who gets what of AFL football games.  It was more than that.  Jeremy knew that the sum of two great cities working together was greater than petty squabbling over football.  The MOU was an opportunity to address and develop good policy, and on two matters dear to him – youth development and the city’s built heritage.  If we got the population strategy branding right, we’d get more young people staying in the State, and coming back to raise their families.  If we took care of the built heritage that has covered the State since 1803, we’d be a State that has preserved history and its lessons to pass on. 

Conversations with Jeremy always left you thoughtful about how to do positive change.  The loss of Jeremy in the MOU team of Hobart and Launceston Aldermen and Council staff will be sorely felt.  Vale and deepest condolences to his family and workmates.

No comments:

Post a Comment

All comments will be moderated and if anyone thinks that appending "confidential" or "private" or similar to a comment, forget it. Democracy at its best is transparent, open and democratic.