The Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) held its annual general meeting at NSW Parliament House on Friday, with nearly 150 people in attendance.
Mayor of Temora Shire Council, Rick Firman, was endorsed as chairman of the CMA, unopposed, while Bega Valley Shire mayor, Russell Fitzpatrick, narrowly won the vote for deputy chairman over Armidale Regional Council mayor, Sam Coupland.
More than130 eligible voters selected seven candidates from a field of 13 for the executive board. Elected mayors were Cr. Phyllis Miller (Forbes Shire Council), Sam Coupland (Armidale Regional
Council), John Medcalf (Lachlan Shire Council), Sue Moore (Singleton Council), Josh Black (Dubbo Regional Council), Russell Webb (Tamworth Regional Council) and Sharon Cadwallader (Ballina Shire Council). The team will serve for a two-year term.
Mayor Firman was delighted with the outcome of the AGM.
“We have an ideal cross-section of our membership on our board, from small rural to larger regional councils, from remote inland to coastal mayors,” Cr Firman said.
“Many mayors attended the AGM with their general manager or CEO and there were two votes
per Council. There were no informal votes. The results were very close and a motion was passed that
should a vacancy occur in the board, eighth place would fill it and so on,” he said.
NSW Local Government Minister, Ron Hoenig, addresses the Country Mayors Association dinner last Thursday.
“I’m deeply honoured to have been elected as Chairman of CMA. I have large boots to fill, following on from former mayors in Jamie Chaffey (Gunnedah), Ken Keith (Parkes) and Katrina Humphries (Moree Plains),” he said.
“I know our executive board and I will work hard alongside our members to advocate for the priorities which our membership so determines. Obviously, housing, rural crime, health, roads and transport, skills shortages, connectivity are among those serious issues we’ll be immersing ourselves in, alongside our Government and Opposition, to find potential solutions.
“Financial sustainability is the number one issue at present, which is a significant matter for us,” Cr Firman said.
The new chairman has been in local government since 2004, was elected Temora Shire deputy mayor in 2009, and elevated as Mayor in 2012.
Mayor Firman has served as mayor since that time, as well as being the chairman of the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils Board, serving since 2016).
He is also a commissioner on the NSW Local Government Boundaries Commission and was appointed last year to the NSW Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel.
“I love being involved with local government, and the people that make it up – past and present. In rural and regional Councils – in the main, we are not party political. We’ll work beside everyone and anyone, as we just want the very best outcomes for our respective communities that we hold so very dear – and we’re all willing to work hard to achieve that outcome,” Cr Firman said.
Meanwhile, guest speakers at the meeting included NSW Opposition Leader and Liberal Leader, Mark Speakman, Minister for Skills, TAFE & Tertiary Education, Steve Whan and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison.
“We greatly appreciate our State Ministers and Shadow Ministers taking the time to communicate directly with our country mayors and we look forward to our Premier, Chris Minns’ undertaking to be our special guest speaker at a meeting in 2025.”
