Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) President, Matt Burnett, has extended the Association’s sincere condolences to the family of Shire of Ravensthorpe Deputy President, Mark Mudie, who was tragically killed while fighting fires in Western Australia last week.
“Over this week we have seen the tragic loss of life and homes to bushfires across Australia,” said President Burnett.
“My thoughts are with all these communities, and their councils as they work tirelessly to respond to the immediate threats and manage long-term recovery.”
A local farmer, Cr Mudie (pictured) lost his life last Monday while trying to stop a fire from destroying his family’s property in WA’s south. It’s believe the 59-year-old was operating a front-end loader to establish a firebreak when the vehicle became engulfed by flames.
In a statement, the Council said the Shire was devastated by his passing.
“We offer our sincere condolences to his wife Elaine, their children, family and friends,” said Shire President, Rachel Gibson.
President Gibson said Cr Mudie was regarded a knowledgeable and well-grounded councillor.
“His expertise, knowledge and common sense will certainly be missed. When he spoke, we listened,” she said.
“We will all miss the farming chats at council with Mark and I offer my heartfelt condolences to Elaine, Nathan, Jessica and families.”
He was elected to the Council in 2019 and, at the time of his death, had just started his second term as Deputy President.
“His local knowledge proved valuable in council discussions and decision making and his main concern was always what was best for the community. He was incredibly proud of the agricultural sector in our region and was a great advocate for them.”
“We will miss Mark’s respectful and considered approach to new ideas and the professional and courteous way he engaged with stakeholders and members of the community when representing the Shire of Ravensthorpe at events.
“We will also miss his smile and his laugh. Mark was fond of a cheeky quip to lighten the mood and bolster spirits during some of our long meetings.”
Investigations are ongoing into what happened at the West River fire. The Council said it would fully support WA Police throughout the investigation process.
“It has been an incredibly challenging week for our team. We were already mourning the loss of our former Shire President Keith Dunlop, and Mark’s sudden passing has left us reeling.”
“While we continue to come to terms with this loss, we ask the community to please be patient with us. Many in our team worked closely with Mark and they are grieving a respected and much-loved colleague.
“We also express our heartfelt thanks for everything our volunteer firefighters have done this week in such extremely challenging circumstances. They provide a critical and essential service to our community, often in the most dangerous and confronting of situations and we are deeply grateful for their courage and commitment.”
All staff and volunteers have been offered support via the Council’s confidential Employee Assistance Program, which extends to their family members too.
“We will get through this difficult time together,” said President Gibson.
