Swan Hill Rural City Councillors have elected Councillor Stuart King as the local government area’s new Mayor.
Cr King will take over the reins from Councillor Les McPhee, who has served a total of six terms as Mayor.
Councillor King, who was first elected to Council in 2020, says he is honoured to take on the organisation’s top elected role.
“I look forward to continuing to serve the municipality and our community. I thank Councillors for their support, and I give my commitment to working with them and Council staff over the next year to continue the good work of this Council,” he said.
The new Mayor said he appreciated the support and encouragement received from members of the community to nominate for this important role.
“There is a lot happening in our municipality and the broader region at the moment and during my Mayoral term I am excited to see the commencement, continuation and completion of various Council projects.
“Projects such as the Robinvale Leisure Centre Expansion and the Swan Hill Tourism & Cultural Hub, as well as other related developments like the Swan Hill Hospital Emergency Department and the commencement of the VHM Goschen Mine.
“With my background in agriculture, engineering, and business I intend to work closely with the CEO and Directors to ensure we are focused on improving our core infrastructure such as roads and drainage right across our municipality, as well as stimulating increased investment and development opportunities.
“I am keen to continue sharing the message that the Swan Hill municipality is open for business, and we are willing to help.
“I will advocate strongly to higher levels of Government for our fair share of funding and on policy issues such as water and its impact on established businesses in our region,” Cr King said.