Cr Angie Paspaliaris to take short break from Warrnambool council to welcome first child

Cr Paspaliaris is only the second in Warrnambool to have a baby while sitting as an elected councillor.

The first was Fiona Aulsebrook who was a councillor from 1999 to 2004, she said.

At last month's open council meeting, councillors voted to approve the leave which will begin on August 9 and run until October 11, but the dates are flexible.

"I have been incredibly lucky from the beginning of my pregnancy that I have been feeling very well, and have not had to miss any of my council commitments," Cr Paspaliaris said.

"I intend to return to council duties as soon as possible, as I feel an important responsibility to the community in this role."

The Warrnambool dentist said she also didn't intend on taking much time away from the dental clinic either.

"I feel an obligation to continue to care for my patients," she said.

Cr Paspaliaris said she was "cautiously excited" about the arrival of her first child which is due at the end of August.

"Having been very career focused over the last 14 years since graduating from university, and running a small business for the last eight of those years, I never really considered that having children was ever part of the bigger picture for me, and I have always been very comfortable with that," she said.

"I appreciate that having children is a very important, long-term commitment - it's a big decision, and requires plenty of work and sacrifice in order to bring them up in a stable, loving and supportive environment.

"However it's always interesting how life takes you on varied and unpredictable paths, and this is another change for me to embrace."

She said her husband, Alex, had always wanted a family and together they would make a great parenting team.

"Council has been incredibly supportive of my pregnancy so far, and have reached out with plenty of information on the maternity and childcare support services that they can offer me as a councillor," she said.

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