New mayor, deputies elected

Cr Brett Tessari has been elected as the new Bass Coast Shire Council mayor today, after former mayor Rochelle Halstead stepped down to be the Liberal candidate for Bass at the state election.

And Island Ward councillor Ronnie Bauer is the new deputy mayor.

Cr Tessari was voted in unopposed, nominated by Cr Ronnie Bauer.

Cr Halstead for the first time presented Cr Tessari with the mayoral collarette – a pendant on a ribbon – as he took the chair to be mayor for the next six months.

“I’m back. I’ve not sat in this chair for five years,” Cr Tessari said.

The meeting was adjourned for councillors to nominate the deputy mayor, with two nominations.

Cr Ronnie Bauer was nominated by Cr Halstead, and seconded by Cr Tessari.

Cr Jon Temby was nominated by Cr Mat Morgan and seconded by Cr Tracey Bell.

Cr Bauer was successfully voted in with six votes.

“I will fill this role to the best of my abilities,” Cr Bauer said.

Cr Halstead opted to step down from the mayoral role – a position she has held since November 2024 – and will continue to serve on council until writs for the election are served in November.

She said the decision to step down as mayor was not a decision “taken lightly”.

“But I believe it is the right time to take the next step in continuing to advocate for the issues that matter deeply to our region,” Cr Halstead said.

“My focus remains firmly on local issues and the needs of our community.”

In her final mayoral column, she said leadership was “not about being the loudest voice in the room”, but was “about listening, staying steady through difficult decisions”.

Cr Halstead is the second councillor running in the November election, with Cr Mat Morgan endorsed earlier this year as the Greens’ candidate for Eastern Victoria in the Upper House.

The seat of Bass is currently held by Labor’s Jordan Crugnale, on the smallest margin in the state.