Mayoral Matters | August 14, 2026

Published on 14 August 2026

On August 4 and 5, councillors and CEOs from the Wimmera Southern Mallee Council Alliance came together to undertake our annual mandatory councillor professional development training, required under the Local Government Act.

The training was run as a joint session with Buloke, West Wimmera, Yarriambiack, Horsham and Northern Grampians councils to save costs while also enabling networking opportunities for council leaders across our region.

While it was a big two days, it was particularly important training and helped to ensure councillors have the core legal, financial and ethical skills required for good governance.

I really enjoyed the training. Some of the topics covered were: working as a team to manage your collective wellbeing and build resilience; fraud and corruption – what's the difference and the role of a councillor in risk mitigation; what does representing your community look like?; council's role in service planning; getting the most out of your Audit and Risk Committee; councillor self-care to build resilience; decision making; active listening skills; and how to interact with developers, applicants and objectors without stepping over integrity and transparency lines.

I am also delighted to let you know that that I will be undertaking further training after being successful in my application to participate in the inaugural Local Leaders Series: Leading Through Crisis and Complexity.

I will be part of a balanced learning cohort, with representation from metropolitan, interface, regional and rural councils, as well as leaders at various stages of their local government journey. The program will run over five dates from August to November.

Delivered by the Municipal Association of Victoria in partnership with the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne, the series is a practical, cohort-based learning experience. It will support participants to strengthen our capacity to lead through complexity, build coalitions and apply new approaches to real challenges facing municipalities and communities.

I enjoy personal development to strengthen my governance, strategic and leadership capabilities and am really looking forward to completing this series to help me be a better leader.

Northern Grampians Shire has been subject to several recent extreme weather events including floods (2022), droughts (2024-2025), bushfires and extreme heat (summer 2024-2025). These events have had significant impacts on our community, health, the economy and the environment.

As a small rural council, we have limited resources. Therefore, it is vital that when we are faced with challenges, we are well-equipped to face them and to achieve the best outcomes for our community.