City of Albany leaders call time on council careers

While three City of Albany councillors are fighting to hold on to their seats at this month’s local government elections, two others are stepping down after years of service to their community.

Councillors Ray Hammond and Tracy Sleeman attended their final council meeting last month after 13 and four years of service respectively.

Last month, Cr Hammond was awarded a Long and Loyal Service Award from the WA Local Government Association to cap his career on council.

Cr Hammond said some of the highlights of his time on council were driving the Albany Heart Safe Project which led to the installation of more than 100 defibrillators across the City, pushing for CCTV coverage and upgrading boat pens in Emu Point.

“It has been an interesting journey,” he said.

“The Albany Heart Safe Project was fairly compelling. My wife is a former nurse and midwife, and it was her that drew my attention to it and 10 years later we have got 100 of them.”

Cr Hammond said he was proud to have been a part of a collaborative council that achieved great things for the community.

“Being able to achieve things that are important to the community and to be an active representative for the community — it’s quite a great feeling.”

Later this year he will start a new chapter, moving to Roleystone with his wife to spend more time with his grandchildren.

He hopes to publish a book on precognition he has been chipping away at for 30 years.

Vancouver Ward Cr Sleeman said she was proud to have influenced the City to divert waste from landfill through the World of Eco initiative which recycles waste and re-diverts it back into the community.

“In Albany we targeted Op Shops that had excess or damaged clothing that could not be sold and was going to landfill,” she said.

“This project began in 2019 and I would in particular like to thank staff member Stuart Jamieson’s assistance in a lot of background work that we were able to make this project work.

“All op shops are proudly on board the project with a local job created to pick up all the items from them. We now have more than three tonnes of clothing diverted from landfill every month in Albany with the city helping expand the program to Denmark and Esperance.”

Cr Sleeman said she would continue to work with the City’s Stidwell Bridle Trail Robinson committee, and devote her energy to managing the Albany and Regional Volunteer Service and retirement village Amana Living.