Port Hedland farewells dedicated community man Arnold Carter
It truly was a red letter day for celebrated Port Hedland personality Arnold Carter last Wednesday.
A function organised by the Town of Port Hedland to say thank you was infused with laughter and more than a few tears.
Mr Carter himself was visibly moved by the ceremony, which marked the end of a long and illustrious career in public service.
Serving as Shire president from 1979 to 1985, Mr Carter was also one-time deputy mayor and is a freeman of the town.
Before entering the function in the council chambers, Mr Carter unequivocally ruled out running at the next local government election.
He described his defeat in last year's ballot as a "blessing in disguise", having fallen ill just three weeks after the vote.
Special mention was given by Town chief executive Mal Osborne to Mr Carter's wife, Fran, for "significant sacrifices made" as the wife of a councillor.
After living through the wrath of Cyclone Joan in 1975, Mr Carter said he considered the underground power project one of the council's greatest achievements.
He also made mention of his trip to Canberra to negotiate the transfer of the Port Hedland Domestic Airport and the ensuing upgrade to international standard.
Mr Carter made a speech which proved he was made of much sterner stuff than his 87-year-old frame would suggest.
Rather than addressing the crowd with fluff and guff, he harnessed the opportunity to take a swipe at detractors.
"Local government today, one word: disaster," he said.
"Council's role has become very minimal, and the word 'transparency' has been replaced with 'confidential'.
"I do not say this in a derogative manner; however, council must change its course if it is to become a Pilbara city … the only answer is … the appointment of a commissioner for a short period to expedite the backlog of projects and future planning proposals.
"It worked for the Ashburton Shire, why not Port Hedland."
