Upper Lachlan Shire Council

Once Parliament had risen for the year after a 7am start to get through all the Bills passed in a late night Senate sitting, it was great to get on the road and head straight to #Crookwell. It was good to catch up with Upper Lachlan Shire Council Mayor Paul Culhane, CEO Alex Waldron and Deputy Mayor Rob Cameron OAM to discuss issues of concern to this important new shire in the #Riverina electorate. It was good to chat with Cr Cameron. We worked closely together during my time as Deputy Prime Minister when he was Director-General Emergency Management Australia (EMA). Also spoke to businessman Charlie Fenton of the Crookwell Hotel and met the dedicated Prue Burfitt of the Taralga Progress Association. #RegionsMatter

👏 New Chairperson and Deputy Elected for Canberra Region Joint Organisation 👏 Cr Russell Fitzpatrick, mayor of Bega Valley Shire Council was elected chairperson and Cr Julia Ham, mayor of Snowy Valleys Council was elected deputy chairperson by their regional mayoral counterparts at the first meeting of the new board of the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, held on Friday 25 October 2024. Made up of the mayors of eleven NSW regional councils surrounding the ACT, the Canberra Region Joint Organisation board also includes the ACT Government and Canberra Airport as members. The first meeting of the new board followed NSW’s September council elections. The incoming mayors participated enthusiastically in an induction session, an important opportunity for our members to connect and explore the role of the regional joint organisation. Together with our new board, Mayor Fitzpatrick and Mayor Ham will represent the broader Canberra region, effectively communicating and advocating for the shared priorities of our member and their communities. At our meeting, we were honoured to welcome the federal member for Eden-Monaro, the Hon. Kristy McBain MP, and state member for Monaro, the Hon. Steve Whan MP who shared valuable insights and inspired ideas for regional collaboration and opportunities. We also extend our gratitude to former Blayney Shire Council mayor Scott Ferguson for sharing his wealth of experience and discussing the importance of regional collaboration. Our next meeting will take place at Canberra Airport in December with a focus on regional and cross border economic development and we look forward to progressing our shared local and regional priorities over the next four years of the council term. Please join us in congratulating Mayor Fitzpatrick and Mayor Ham! Bega Valley Shire Council Eurobodalla Shire Council Goulburn Mulwaree Council Hilltops Council Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council Snowy Monaro Regional Council Snowy Valleys Council Upper Lachlan Shire Council City of Wagga Wagga Wingecarribee Shire Council Yass Valley Council ACT Government Canberra Airport #CanberraRegion #LocalGovernment #Leadership #RegionalCollaboration