Gunnedah Shire Council voted Colleen Fuller as mayor and Kate McGrath as deputy mayor in the first meeting of the new council.
Cr Fuller was feeling “very humble” and “excited” about being elected as the shire’s leader.
As previously reported, Cr Fuller received the highest first preference votes and in the second round of mayoral election, she received seven of the nine votes.
In a Gunnedah shire first, the council has a female mayor, deputy mayor and council majority.
Cr Fuller stated she was excited about the new leadership and is encouraged by her work for women to stand for council during the last 16 years.
“I believe we have great staff and councillors too, and if they all work together, they will all be successful and I am sure that is going to happen,” she said.
Cr McGrath stated the female council majority was a large factor as to why they stood for leading positions.
“Given that we had already created history by having a female majority council, it was a good thing to have female leadership of that council,” Cr McGrath said.
“I am thrilled. I am really pleased with the support from my fellow colleagues.”
Cr McGrath further felt her affiliation to the Labor Party could possibly give the shire issues further standing in state and federal government.
“To encourage better communication with the state government and obviously that advocacy is much more effective if you are able to do it from both angles,” Cr McGrath said.
Both Cr Fuller and Cr McGrath stated their priorities lie in finding an appropriate outcome for the proposed special rate variation.
“I want to make sure we get the SRV right for our community because that is very important,” Cr Fuller said.
“I want [the community] to be having input into Gunnedah because it is their town as well as ours at council and I want them to be heavily involved.”
Cr McGrath wants to see continuing conversations and consultations with the community.
“Also, we will have the community strategic plan consultation, so ensuring that is done really thoroughly and the voices in the community are really strongly represented in that,” Cr McGrath said.
The first Gunnedah Shire Council Ordinary Meeting of the term will be held at 4.30pm on Wednesday, October 30.
The following meetings will be held on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 and Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 4.30pm before the meetings return in 2025 to the regular date and time of the third Wednesday in the month at 4.30pm. All Ordinary Council meetings are open to the public and are held in the Gunnedah Shire Council Chambers on Elgin Street, other than the March and September meeting which will be held in one of the villages.
Council will seek expressions of interest from village hall committees and progress associations to host one of these meetings.
Gunnedah shire councillors: Back, Cameron Moore, Linda Newell, Robert Hoddle, Tammey McAllan and Rob Hooke. Front, Juliana McArthur, deputy mayor Kate McGrath, mayor Colleen Fuller and Ann Luke.
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