City of Greater Geraldton election candidates: Ian Dempsey outlines his priorities for council

For Ian Dempsey, standing for council is a natural extension of a lifetime dedicated to community service.

His track record spans decades and States from the Victorian Country Fire Association and Port Hedland’s SES to the Lions Club, Marine Rescue Geraldton and the Midwest Community Living Association, where he has served on the board since 2018.

Mr Dempsey is also a trustee for the Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation, whose goal is to provide a walker to every child in Australia who needs one.

For the past five years, he has grown out his white beard and donned the Santa suit, bringing Christmas cheer to Geraldton families at local shopping centres. Mr Dempsey prepares for the role early in the year saying he started growing his beard in March this year.

“I don’t think I’ll start so early next year. It’s quite long but yeah, as soon as Christmas morning, it comes off,” he said.

Mr Dempsey said his priorities reflected both grassroots concerns and the city’s future. He is calling for a parks, gardens and streetscape master plan, believing Geraldton can do more to showcase its natural beauty with native species that thrive in the region.

He is also focused on improving disability access citywide, tackling graffiti with a 48-hour removal policy in high-profile areas and strengthening community safety.

Another key concern is his long-running support for a dedicated Midwest Rescue Helicopter Service, which he argues is vital to provide critical care within the “golden hour”. He has organised petitions, lobbied ministers and appeared in the media to keep the issue alive.

Looking further ahead, Mr Dempsey wants Geraldton to play a central role in upcoming historic milestones, including the 400th anniversary of the Batavia shipwreck in 2029, 300th anniversary of the Zeewijk wreck in 2027 and the 150-year anniversary of the Point Moore Lighthouse in 2028.

He believes the Batavia wreck should be returned to the Mid West where “it truly belongs” to bolster the region’s maritime heritage.

With this election being the second time that Mr Dempsey has nominated he says, “I’ve been involved in community service most of my life” and believes council should focus on “keeping the rates down while still providing the services”.

After 10 years in Geraldton following time in Port Hedland and country Victoria, Mr Dempsey says he’s proud to call the city home.

“It’s a great place with 44 days more sunshine than the Gold Coast, a perfect climate, wind’s a bit much in summer but that cools the place down,” he said.

Voters need to return their ballots via post, allowing enough time for it to be received before Saturday, October 18. Ballots can be dropped in-person to the Geraldton Civic Centre (up until 6pm on Saturday, October 18) or the Mullewa District Office (up until 5pm on Friday, October 17).