Chris Oldfield, Naracoorte Community News
Patrick Ross stands aloft in the world of leadership, decision making, procedure and uniting people during challenging and complicated times.
He has proven himself within the community to be approachable and engaging, as well as having the ability to step up and display his contemporary, progressive leadership qualities.
As a result of those skills, Mr Ross has been highly sought after for his experience and abilities, and continuously recognised throughout his life – most recently as the 2022 Lucindale Citizen of the Year.
Many people would recognise his efforts as a CFS group officer and a vital member of the incident management team during the seven major bushfires in the region during the past decade.
After much lobbying by various sections of the Naracoorte Lucindale community and beyond, Mr Ross has finally tipped his hat and said: “Yes, I will stand for mayor” in the November 2022 council elections.
Is he fazed that a council might be different from leading other organisations, groups and clubs?
Mr Ross believes if he can represent and unite 5000 members of the Australian Deer Association for five years as a national president, he can handle being the presiding member of Naracoorte Lucindale Council.
He has successfully lobbied State and Federal Governments as a leader of various organisations.
Therefore, he believes he can bring those skills to represent our community as mayor – “to lead a council of knowledgeable and diligent elected members, who together have a desire to be the enablers of economic growth and community prosperity”.
Mr Ross has long been an avid reader of Naracoorte Lucindale Council agendas and minutes, making him aware of current issues and constraints of the local government.
“If elected, I will lead an open, honest and transparent council – one that represents the community equitably throughout Naracoorte and beyond,” he said.
A natural leader with a passion for community, Mr Ross has been volunteering since he was 14, initially as a CFS radio operator in the Adelaide Hills.
Moving to Woolumbool as a young adult to manage a family property, he also dedicated a lot of his time to the Woolumbool CFS brigade.
Over the years since, Mr Ross has purchased land and expanded his property.
During those years he also met and married Wendy James. The couple have three adult children – daughter Meg who is a nurse/paramedic working locally in Naracoorte, son Alec who is a pilot and farmer and Ben who is a bladesmith.
“During the last 10 to 12 years – six as group officer – I’ve had frontline involvement with all the fires, most recently Keilira, Blackford and Coles, as part of the Incident Management Team,” Mr Ross said.
In his role, he has lobbied to ensure those at the coal face are as prepared and well resourced as possible “so they can defend their communities as best they can”.
Recently, he finished chairing the SA CFS Regional Volunteer Management Committee, reinvigorating the meeting procedures and improving culture to make the organisation work more cohesively.
Mr Ross believes Naracoorte Lucindale Council district is ideally situated between Adelaide and Melbourne “and we should capitalise on its natural and human resources”
“It is ideally situated to attract business and become intrinsically important,” he said.
“Any council worth its salt will want to grow that potential.”
Mr Ross also aims to bring the community along with the council “by demonstrating honest, open, transparent and accountable management of ratepayers funds equitably, from Frances to Greenways and everywhere in between”.
Nominations for candidates in the council elections opened on August 23 and will close at noon on September 6.
The SA Electoral Commission says it will mail ballot papers to electors from Friday, October 14, until Thursday, October 20.
Voting will close at 5pm, Thursday, November 10. Scrutiny and counting will occur on Saturday, November 12.
This article appeared in Naracoorte Community News.
