Mayor of Temora Shire Council, Rick Firman OAM, has been endorsed as Chairman of the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA), unopposed, while Bega Valley Shire Mayor, Russell Fitzpatrick narrowly won the vote for Deputy Chairman over Armidale Regional Council Mayor, Sam Coupland.
The Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) held its Annual General Meeting at NSW Parliament House on Friday, with close to 150 in attendance.
More than 130 eligible voters selected seven candidates from a field of 13 for the Executive Board.
Elected Mayors were Phyllis Miller OAM (Forbes Shire Council), Sam Coupland (Armidale Regional Council), John Medcalf OAM (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.
“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,” said Mayor Firman.
“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.
“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 OAM (Parkes), Katrina Humphries (Moree Plains) and so on.
“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,” said Mayor Firman.
The new Chairman has been in local government since 2004, was elected Temora Shire Deputy Mayor in 2009, and elevated to Mayor in 2012.
He has served as Mayor since that time, as well as being the Chairman of the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils (REROC) Board, 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’ Mayor Firman said.
Guest speakers at the Meeting included NSW Opposition Leader & 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, The Honourable Chris Minns’ undertaking to be our special guest speaker, at a meeting in 2025.”
The night before the meeting, Country NSW Mayors came together for a dinner with NSW Local Government Minister, Ron Hoenig.
“I want councils to be preferred employers of choice. I want to reverse the trend of outsourcing and sub-contracting in Local Government,” said Minister Hoenig.
“Council procurement and local, long-term jobs are too important for country communities,” he said.
Mayor Firman said Minister Hoenig gave a frank presentation and took questions, before then taking the time to meet CMA members.
“He agreed with Country Mayors who are frustrated that accounting standards require non-realisable asset values to have depreciation costs and negative impacts on Councils’ financials, especially in relation to the Red Fleet issue (Rural Fire Service vehicles being on Councils’ books),” he said
“He also agreed that Integrated Planning and Reporting Requirements are not appropriate and do not provide Councils with a useful management tool.
“We accept Minister Hoenig’s statement that unravelling the complex, in-place policies and practices is not a quick and easy fix, however, CMA members cannot continue accepting the status quo.
“It was pleasing to hear that the Minister has been working with the Auditor-General on the inexplicable depreciation burdens placed on our member Councils,” he said.
“Minister Hoenig has always been very generous with his time. He plays a straight bat with CMA, which is appreciated. We might not always agree with everything our Minister does, however, CMA do believe he’s on our side’, Mayor Firman said.
The meeting also saw the endorsement of Regional Development Australia Northern Inland’s Gary Fry in the role of CMA Secretariat for another 12 months and Temora
Shire Council’s General Manager Melissa Boxall in the role of Secretary.
