Busselton stalwarts make way for new members

Former mayor Ian Stubbs and former councillor Tom Tuffin retired from the council chambers for the last time on Wednesday evening.

Mr Stubbs announced in September he would not run for re-election after eight years on the council and six years in the role of Shire president, now City mayor.

He said after 47 years in local government he had no regrets.

"Once I had made the announcement about not standing for re-election I felt comfortable about it," he said.

"There are so many projects you want to stay for and watch them be completed, but there will always be projects."

Mr Tuffin joined the council in 2007, and after eight years, he said it felt like it was time to step down. "I had no regrets taking on council, I met a lot of great people and was involved in a lot of great projects, but I also have no regrets about leaving," he said.

"This will be the first Wednesday I've had off in eight years."

Both men said their hardest time in council was their first two years.

Mr Tuffin said there had been a lot of bitterness in the council.

"There was a lot of dysfunction and bitterness between councillors and after Mayor Stubbs took over we quite quickly became cohesive and started getting a fair say at meetings and getting somewhere," he said.

Mr Stubbs said one of his biggest achievements as mayor was the governance changes.

"Getting councillors more involved in the decision-making process and streamlining the process," he said. Mr Tuffin said he was looking forward to seeing the progress of higher education in Busselton.

"It won't be an ivory tower, but there will be a university presence in town and there will be courses available to people in town who want to do them," he said.

Both men looked forward to relaxing and enjoying their retirement.

Mr Tuffin said he was looking forward to spending time doing his woodwork, camping, broadcasting from his ham radio and gardening.

Mr Stubbs said as well as fishing and learning to work with wood and metal, he was also taking on an 800km pilgrimage in Spain.

"I'm going to trek Spain's Camino de Santiago next May, so I will be busy walking preparing for that," he said.