COUNCILLOR Doug Hamilton could never be accused of not getting out and about to his people.

The Port Ward representative jokes that he can always be relied on for a first-hand report on the state of rural roads.

A typical month sees Cr Hamilton travel up to 1500 kilometres.

As the sole councillor for an area spanning more than 500 square kilometres — 43 per cent of the entire shire — broad shoulders and a driver’s licence are vital.

Cr Hamilton estimates he attends between 25 and 30 events a month, including weekly council meetings in Pakenham and visits to ratepayers all over the ward.

“The travelling time is enormous, but it goes with the territory,” he said.

A councillor since 2003, Cr Hamilton is philosophical about the likely expansion of Port Ward but does not view the future without trepidation.

With more and more people coming to live in Pakenham-Officer-Beaconsfield, an area that takes up just 5 per cent of the shire, the challenge is ahead to ensure the rural voice remains loud and clear at council level.

“It is going to be difficult with so many people in the growth corridor. That small area has 80 per cent of the population,” he says.

Cr Hamilton believes the only way to resolve the issue is to have more councillors, but acknowledges future candidates may not relish the prospect of representing a ward as large as his.

“I’ve got a large area, but there’s always been a uniting community of interest in that it’s generally a farming area,” he said.

“That might change a bit (if Port Ward takes in an area south of Henry Road, Pakenham) but there’s no easy solution and I don’t have any argument with it. It’s based on having an equal number of people to each councillor. You’ve just got to keep working away.”