Cr Rod Fyffe OAM was last week presented with a years of service award from the Municipal Association of Victoria, recognising his 35 years as a Councillor.
Cr Fyffe has actually served 37 years, he notched up 35 years in 2020 but the celebrations were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His years of service stretch across two councils, both the City of Bendigo (1983 – 1994) and City of Greater Bendigo (1996 – onwards) when he stood in the first election following Council amalgamations.
Cr Fyffe said it had been a great honour to be a local Councillor.
“It’s been a wonderful privilege to serve the community of Greater Bendigo for more than 35 years. Over 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,” he said.
“There’s 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.
“There’s 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. At 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.
“Being 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.”
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf described Cr Fyffe as the elder statesman of Council and said he had always been a calming and uniting presence.
“On behalf of all Councillors, past and present, I congratulate Rod on his fantastic service over more than three decades. He has always taken a community-first approach and been a fantastic leader, including serving as Mayor four times,” Cr Metcalf said.
