Whitehorse News - June 2023

Meet Michelle Eeles, one of Council’s community laws officers who is also a proud Whitehorse resident.

Michelle has been working in Council’s Community Safety department for six years and helps educate locals about the things they can and can’t do in line with local laws. 

Her role helps ensure Whitehorse remains a clean, comfortable and accessible part of Melbourne for everyone who lives here.

Michelle is keen to emphasise that she and her fellow community laws officers aren’t focused on tracking down and penalising those who are caught doing the wrong thing.

“My role is an educational role, and the ‘Whitehorse Way’ is to help people rather than enforce,” she said.

“If I see someone in a park with a dog off a lead, I’m not there to give them a fine, I’m there to tell them it’s an on-lead park and they need to have their dog on a lead.

“I play a role in helping people establish good habits, and that makes the city safer and look better too.”

Michelle’s designated suburbs include Box Hill and Box Hill North and she monitors situations such as long grass, dumped rubbish and overhanging branches on trees near footpaths.

She said she enjoys being out and about in the community and working remotely through her laptop, along with occasional visits to the office.

“I do my whole job outside and I work in the field all the time… it suits me to a T.”

Michelle also likes working close to home and being able to bring her own experiences as a Whitehorse resident into her day job.

“I put my hat on as a resident, and I think about what would I like, and then I can make things better for Whitehorse residents,” she said.

“I get satisfaction out of making things better for the community.”