Lisa Ruffell
{{Short description|Bendigo politician }}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Lisa Ruffell
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| caption =
| title = Mayor of the District Council of Robe
| term_start = 2023
| term_end =
| predecessor = Alison Nunan
| successor =
| title2 = Councillor of the District Council of Robe
| term_start2 = 2022
| term_end2 =
| title3 = Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo
| term_start3 = 2012
| term_end3 = 2013
| predecessor3 = Alec Sandner
| successor3 = Barry Lyons
| title4 = Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Whipstick Ward
| term_start4 = 2012
| term_end4 = 2016
| title5 = Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Epsom Ward
| term_start5 = 2008
| term_end5 = 2012
| predecessor5 = Trudi McClure
| successor5 = Ward Abolished
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| party = Liberal{{Cite web |date=2008-12-11 |title=Liberal lashings of infighting at elections |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/696650/liberal-lashings-of-infighting-at-elections/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au |language=en-au}}
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}}
Lisa Ruffell is an Australian politician who has served as mayor of the District Council of Robe since 2023 and as mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo from 2012 until 2013.{{Cite web |title=Past Councillors {{!}} City of Greater Bendigo |url=https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/about-us/council/our-councillors/past-councillors |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.bendigo.vic.gov.au |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Voice |first=S. E. |date=2023-02-01 |title=New coastal mayor appointed {{!}} The SE Voice |url=https://sevoice.com.au/new-coastal-mayor-appointed/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |language=en-AU}} She has served as a councillor for the District Council of Robe since 2022 and was a councilor for the City of Greater Bendigo from 2008 until 2016.{{Cite web |last=Voice |first=S. E. |date=2022-12-13 |title=Coastal council deputy chosen {{!}} The SE Voice |url=https://sevoice.com.au/coastal-council-deputy-chosen/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |language=en-AU}}
Political career
= City of Greater Bendigo =
In the 2002 Victorian state election, Ruffell contested the division Bendigo East but failed to defeat the incumbent Labor member Jacinta Allan.{{Cite news |date=2003-08-26 |title=Libs want candidates on the ground early |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-08-26/libs-want-candidates-on-the-ground-early/1469832 |access-date=2025-01-14 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} Ruffell won 27.9% of the primary vote and 37.0% of the Two-party-preferred vote.
Ruffell was elected to the City of Greater Bendigo council in the 2008 election in the Epsom Ward, achieving 32.34% of the primary vote and 63.38% of the two candidate preferred vote, defeating incumbent councilor Trudi McClure, also a member of the Liberal Party.{{Cite web |title=2008 council election results |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/results/council-election-results/2008-election-results |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.vec.vic.gov.au |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2008-12-02 |title=Gibbins to head up Bendigo council |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-12-03/gibbins-to-head-up-bendigo-council/227286 |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}
In the 2012 election, Bendigo switched to a multi-member ward system. Ruffell was elected to the Whipstick Ward with 30.02% of the primary vote.{{Cite web |title=2012 council election results |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/results/council-election-results/2012-election-results |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.vec.vic.gov.au |language=en}} In that election, incumbent mayor Alec Sandner lost his seat, leading to Rufell to be elected as mayor by the council.{{Cite news |date=2012-11-01 |title=First-time mayor to lead Bendigo council |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-02/first-time-mayor-to-lead-bendigo-council/4348940 |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}
In 2013, while serving as mayor, Ruffell began a long running dispute between fellow councillors Elise Chapman and Helen Leach.{{Cite news |date=2014-07-10 |title=VCAT mediation settles Bendigo councillors' stoush |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-11/vcat-mediation-settles-bendigo-councillors-stoush/5589292 |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} The dispute started in March of that year when the two councillors were alleged to have intervened to prevent a disabled woman from dancing at a disability event, which led to the complaint from the service provider, Amicus.{{Cite news |date=2014-08-20 |title=Council CEO urged to apologise over handling of complaint against councillors |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-21/council-ceo-urged-to-apologise-over-councillors/5685826 |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} Chapman and Leach raised concerns about how Ruffell handled the council's response. A review by a councillor conduct panel later concluded that Ruffell had denied the pair natural justice in the council's handling of the complaint, however the misconduct finding was later overturned.{{Cite news |date=2014-05-05 |title=Bendigo councillors to consider new rules about handling media |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-06/bendigo-councillors-to-consider-new-policies-about/5432838 |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}{{Cite news |date=2016-10-21 |title=Four years that will shape Bendigo's future |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-21/four-years-that-will-shape-bendigos-future/7953536 |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} Ruffell indicated that she would challenge the panel's ruling. The dispute was solved through a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal mediation with Ruffell giving an apology from the council. At a meeting of the council in August 2014, the pair accepted an apology from Ruffell, however, Chapman stated during the meeting that she found her treatment to be "appalling and unfathomable".
Ruffell did not contest the 2016 election.{{Cite web |last=Hinchliffe |first=Joseph |date=2016-03-21 |title=Which councillors will run again in 2016? |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/3804703/which-councillors-will-run-again-in-2016/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au |language=en-au}}
= District Council of Robe =
Ruffel was elected as a councilor to the District Council of Robe in the 2022 election. As Robe failed to receive any nominations for directly elected mayor, Ruffell was elected by the council as deputy mayor. A supplementary election for the position of mayor was held in 2023, with Ruffell winning the position uncontested.
Personal life
In 2013, Ruffell stated that she has lived in Bendigo "for over thirty years", though she was not born in Bendigo. Ruffell has children and grandchildren who were born in Bendigo.{{cite book |author-link= |url= |title=The Local Heroes: City of Greater Bendigo |date=2013 |publisher=Local Heroes Publications |others=Photography by Simmon Pang |isbn=978-0-9806160-2-6 |editor-last=Grant |editor-first=Jan |volume=3 |location=Shepparton, Victoria |pages=7}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Mayors of Bendigo|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffell, Lisa}}
Category:Women mayors of places in Victoria (state)
Category:Mayors of Greater Bendigo
Category:Mayors of places in South Australia
Category:21st-century mayors of places in Australia