The first instalment of Darren’s two-part interview was published in last week’s Mail on Friday, July 17.
Jade Jungwirth
The former CEO said the most challenging part of the role is the number of times he has had to say no compared to the number of times he gets to say yes.
“It’s a nine-to-one ratio. The gap between the amount of desire, need, and expectation that you have compared to what you our community has and the available funds that we have to respond with available funds to deal with is so large.”
While reluctant to name particular projects that he was proud of, preferring to look at the positive impact he has tried to have on the organisation’s culture over the last few years, Darren did say, “I’m wrapped that we were able to find a way to create the Housing Trust.
“I think the current housing system that we’re working in is not going to fix the problem for people, and we need more options,” he said.
“I think that for a council like us to be able to create something like that is pretty special. We’ve proven nothing so far other than that we could create it. There’s a lot of work to be done to make it real, but I think that we have given new hope for possibility here.
“I really like that we have that mindset of, okay, if that doesn’t work, then what will?”
What’s next for Darren? Well, he and his wife love living in Castlemaine and hope to live here for the remainder of their lives.
“Our little miners cottage needs a bit of work done to it, so I’m doing some painting, plastering and tiling and other great fun things. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m the son of a builder, so I’m hoping there’s some latent talent there from watching my dad work,” he said.
“We’ve got a few trips planned. We’ve got a very close wider family including my sisters and their husbands and some of their sisters and brothers; a few years back we started going on walking trips each year. There’ll be about 20 of us this year. We’re doing El Camino in Portugal.
“I’ve learnt a new term lately, while I’ve been thinking about the next steps: preferment. Not retirement, but where you only do the things you prefer. I like that concept. I haven’t worked out what those things are yet, so that’s what I’m going to spend the next six to 12 months working out.”
And the all-important questions:
What are you reading at the moment? It’s a book about the origins of Australian slang called 1819 Dictionary of Criminal Slang that Mayor Toby Heydon showed me. It is interesting to read how a lot of the terms we use now date back to a lot of the convict language that was being used to try and avoid the magistrates and constabulary understanding what they were saying.
What hobbies do you enjoy? I have been a runner for a long time, but I got into marathon running four years ago, and it very much dominates my time when I’m not working or doing family things. There’s a fair chance that I will be out running the streets of Castlemaine. It’s a big part of my life; it keeps me feeling good and it’s a great outlet. My brother-in-law and I run together when we do events, and we did the Berlin marathon in October last year. It was the most astounding experience of my life. 60,000 marathon runners. 1.3 million watching on the sidelines. It’s a 42-kilometre run, and there’s no point where there aren’t people on the sidelines yelling out. There was 20 something bands playing throughout the course. It was the best experience. We’re hoping to get into the Tokyo marathon next year and are trying to get around all of the world’s major marathons. I’m doing the Sunshine Coast marathon shortly after I finish at council, and then we will do the Melbourne Marathon together when we get back from Portugal.
Who are your three dream dinner guests? Jed Bartlet, Josh Lyman and Sam Seaborn (all characters from The West Wing; my favourite show of all time).
What are your philosophies in life? I’ve read a lot of books with contributions from people like the Dalai Lama in them, and I get a lot out of the way Buddhist people see life and the concept of selflessness. My philosophies are very much about what we can do for others and treating people with respect, which very strongly comes through from my parents and their parents. Our kids are like that too – more than I was at their age.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home? I spend a lot of time in the Botanical Gardens, late at night and early in the morning. I love running to Maldon and back, when it’s not too hot. The country is just beautiful. I love being out there and feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere. There are so many great communities where people will pitch in and do what needs to be done, but I’ve never seen the combination of the preparedness to pitch in and the capability to pitch in that exists in Mount Alexander Shire. It’s extraordinary. The number of people here who say, ‘That’s a problem, and I can help’, and then they do actually help you is wonderful. We also love that, for now at least, all of our kids are either just a short drive or a quick flight from us, so we get to see them often.