Cr Ben Mitchell grew up on a family farm in rural Western Australia and first came to Maitland a little over 10 years ago, then quickly fell in love with the area and has been here ever since. First elected in 2017, he represents Maitland as its youngest ever councillor. This is Ben’s second term on Council and was Deputy Mayor from September 2020-2021.
In his spare time, you'll find Ben helping around the city in his capacity as vice president of Maitland Rotary Club or gardening.
'What’s important is for Council to be an enabler for the amazing community groups we have here in Maitland.'
The influence of his parents and family being closely involved in their community is what initially inspired Ben to become a councillor. He was also tired of people just talking online about what could and what should be done, so he put his hand up to be a practical part of the solution to issues in the community.
Ben is the operations manager at a local family owned nursery and is a horticulturist by trade. Ben is a Telarah resident and a proud Monarchist who values good governance.
‘What I love about Maitland is its liveability, we’re central to everywhere. We’ve got the amenities of a city but have retained a country town and community feel.'