Mayor's passion for Busselton

Ian Stubbs thinks Busselton is the best place in the world to live and he’s not afraid to say so.

The Busselton Mayor, who was last month named as a recipient of an Order of Australia Medal, loves the town he has called home for the past 20 years.

“I like the environment, the facilities, the people — what more can I say?” he says.

Born in Perth, Ian moved to Merredin at a young age, where he grew up in what was then a thriving farming community.

A sporty youngster, he was a swimming record-holder at his senior high school for several years.

After toying with the idea of joining the military, Ian joined the Shire of Merredin as a clerical officer.

Two years later, he took up a job as a clerical officer in Exmouth — a relatively short-lived experience, but one he would never forget.

“It was my first time away from home and it wasn’t easy, ” he says.

“After eight months I went back to Merredin.

“It had its moments — I remember chaperoning Miss Australia for a day.”

Ian then moved to Dandaragan, where he cut his teeth in local government, learning the ropes in the burgeoning community and rising through the ranks to Shire clerk over 20 years.

He met his wife Rhonda during this time and the couple have two children — twins Mark and Erin.

Never one to take the easy path, Ian needed a fresh challenge and was appointed chief clerk of the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley and was based in Kununurra.

“I loved it (in Kununurra) and my wife loved it even more, ” he says. “We were happy there, but a position came up in Busselton, and knowing how rare such opportunities were, I managed to persuade her we should move south.”

Ian became the municipality’s first chief executive when the position changed from Shire clerk in 1994.

Ian was then elected onto the Busselton Shire Council in 2007 and was voted in as Shire president in 2009.

“I called a special meeting of council to arrange some fairly significant changes to the way the council went about their business, their governance, and I believe as a consequence of those changes we have had a council that has been working extremely well, ” he says.

“That really sticks in my mind as having had a far-reaching impact for the community.”

Ian was voted in for a second term as Shire president in 2011 and in 2012 became the first Mayor of Busselton when the town was granted city status.

He sees the redevelopment of the Busselton and Dunsborough foreshores and the upgrading of the jetty as major milestones.

Working in local government has always been Ian’s passion and he remains modest about his recent award.

“I was totally surprised, ” he says.

“You work in local government not expecting recognition.

“I’m thankful, but there are so many people in all communities who work hard and I wonder why they weren’t being recognised well before me.”