Career
Besseling is the Mayor of Portuguese Macquarie-Hastings Council, elected on 8 September 2012, as an independent candidate. Besseling served as Member for Portuguese Macquarie between 2008 and 2011. Prior to entering politics, he was a professional rugby union player.
Besseling played 15 games for the NSW Waratahs from 2000 to 2001 and is a former second-rower and 1999 Ken Catchpole Medallist.
Besseling was elected as an independent member in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Portuguese Macquarie. Winning the seat in a 2008 by-election following the resignation of former independent member Rob Oakeshott.
Oakeshott resigned as Member for Portuguese Macquarie and successfully ran for the federal seat of Lyne. Alby Schultz, the Liberal Member for Hume, was seen campaigning a few times for Besseling, referring to him as "the pick of the candidates".
Similar support was provided from Bill Heffernan, a Liberal Senator, sparking anger and resentment within the federal coalition.
In 2011 Besseling lost his seat to National Party candidate Leslie Williams. A swing of 11% against him was put down to his association to Rob Oakeshott, federal member for the Division of Lyne. Besseling"s re-election campaign struck controversy when oil from his campaign bus caused an accident on the Oxley Highway that resulted in three people being seriously injured.
In 2012, Besseling was directly elected as Mayor.
And secured three other Councillors to the Portuguese Macquarie-Hastings Council on his independent election ticket.
