Former Ballarat Football league Chief executive and AFL Goldfields Regional General Manager Rod Ward has been voted as mayor of the Moorabool Council.
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His deputy will be Gordon-based councillor Ally Munari.
Cr Ward represents the Bacchus Marsh area and moved there with his family as a year 12 student in 1985.
His wife and daughter attended Wednesday night's meeting at the Ballan chambers, where Cr Ward told the meeting he wanted to be a mayor for "all of Moorabool".
"We'll continue to advocate strongly on behalf of our residents about the overhead transmission lines," he said later.
"We certainly support renewable energy but not at the cost of people's way of life and mental health."
Cr Ward said Moorabool was a fast-growing and increasingly-diverse council.
"Twenty per cent of our residents were born overseas. It's exciting to see this - and the challenge is to make sure the growth is balanced.
"We've also got a fairly significant council plan and we'll continue to advocate to governments. We had a fairly big infrastructure spend last year.
"Spending on roads has increased 50 per cent from $6 million to around $9 million.
"Part of this is because staff have been able to secure record grants at state and federal levels."
Cr Ward joked that he celebrated his first day on the job "with a root canal" - and would hit the ground running next week after recovering from the dental surgery.
He will also switch to a part time role at Golden Plains Council, where he works as a recreation development officer.
It's been a huge week for the Darley man, who coached AFL number-one draft pick Aaron Cadman in junior cricket.
"I coached him for four years and he also used to come on AFL Goldfields development trips with us.
"He's the third boy I've coached in sport who's now gone on to join the AFL.
"Aaron is a great all-round sportsman. He's tall, fast and could also have played high-level cricket."
Cr Ward said he coached junior cricket for nine years until the pandemic struck.
He replaces Cr Tom Sullivan, who had held the top Moorabool job for two years in a row - and had served as a councillor for 26 consecutive years.
Cr Paul Tatchell was absent from the meeting.
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Gabrielle Hodson
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
