Third term councillor, Cr Ben Whiting, grew up in the Green Hills area of Maitland before heading overseas for work. He returned to his hometown with his wife to raise their two young daughters.
Ben is a special needs teacher and is also actively involved in his local parish. He is a member of the Maitland Park Recreation Board and is proud to see the growth of the Park, 'the city's jewel,' during his time on the Board.
Ben is also a keen player of local hockey with the Maitland Rams and is involved in the Bruce Street Community Hall.
‘I want to help ensure that Maitland gets its fair share, especially when it comes to infrastructure. I don’t like the idea of Maitland being a commuter suburb of somewhere else.
‘We have a very long history of being a significant city in NSW, and I think it’s important that we maintain our own identity and that people can access facilities locally.’
One of Ben's favourite things about Maitland is the rural features and the fact they will remain given the City's floodplains. Another is Maitland's 'perfect size': big enough to provide everything you could want but small enough to maintain a community connection.