Shire of Broome councillor Philip Matsumoto has no plans to slow down after nearly three decades in local government

You could be forgiven for thinking nearly three decades as a councillor has Philip Matsumoto ready to tear his hair out. But instead, the long and impressive tenure at the Shire of Broome has been like a fine wine that gets better with time for the legendary Kimberley character, who said he has never been happier in the role. Cr Matsumoto, whose legacy may still be defined by his dedication to the town’s basketball and football leagues, has been an elected member on and off ever since he was first sworn into council in 1974, aged 33. Fast forward to 2020 and the proud Yawuru man is set to be awarded the prestigious WA Local Government Association Long and Loyal Service Award for his combined 28 years on council. Casting his mind back almost half a century ago, the 78-year-old said he was glad he made the initial decision to put his hand up for his community. “I remember I was encouraged by my peers to first go on council, I gave it a thought and I did it, I didn’t really like how it worked in those days,” he said. “There was lots of paperwork in the past, long meetings, very long, sometimes would go until midnight “I always thought I would make change when I first went went on, but then I realised change was hard to get back then, lots of red tape and barriers that needed to be torn down.” Cr Matsumoto said he was glad the council had evolved over the years and was now far more transparent compared to his early days. “There used to be groups that would meet at the pub and make strategies before a meeting,” he said. “They would all have one voice, I was invited to some and there would be five or six, the majority, who would decide on everything before the meeting. “Now there is more emphasis on governance, it is transparent.” Cr Matsumoto said his biggest achievements in his three decades of service included backing key developments like the Town Beach and Chinatown works and being a voice for ratepayers, business owners and Indigenous people. “I always pushed to keep rates as low as possible and communicate to the wider community what is going on with developments and stuff like that and how it will affect them,” he said. “I was on the forefront of Aboriginal issues, I would always bring up things that were happening in communities. “In the last 10 years the Shire has achieved a lot to develop the town and hopefully this draws more people here for hospitality, caravan parks, visitor centres, hotels, everything like that.” And of all the fellow councillors who Cr Matsumoto has worked behind over the years, he said current president Harold Tracey had been the stand-out to him. “He is a local that grew up here, he’s much younger than me,” he said. “I’ve seen how he operates and communicates and it is nothing like the early days, he has helped to make it transparent and fair like it is now.” Cr Matsumoto said he hoped there would be no slowing him down any time soon. “I’m enjoying council right now, I’m still learning, we’re still changing,” he said. “I think I have a few more years left, my term ends in 2021 and if I’m healthy and still got my thinking all right then I will stay on as long as I can. I will continue for my family, they are very supportive, my wife Madeline and my children. Madeline knows I have to be back late at meetings and knows that emergency things come up but she has always supported me.” Cr Matsumoto will be presented his award at the WALGA annual general meeting next month.