Rodney Stevens

There has been a change in the leadership ranks of Local Government NSW after President Councillor Darriea Turley was no longer eligible to retain her position beyond December 24 last year.

At the November meeting of Broken Hill City Council, of which Cr Turley is an elected member of, the Council resolved to resign from Local Government NSW LGNSW– the peak body for local government across the state.

Although Cr Turley was democratically elected by members as LGNSW President in December 2021, and re-elected in November 2023, she is no longer eligible to continue in the role as her council is no longer part of the membership of LGNSW.

Cr Turley served as a director on the board of LGNSW since the organisation was created in 2013 and was first elected President in 2021.

The remaining 11 months of Cr Turley’s term as LGNSW President will be served by the current Vice President, Mayor Phyllis Miller of Forbes Shire Council.

Due to the reshuffle, when the 18 member LGNSW Board met, Mid-Coast Council Mayor Claire Pontin was elected unopposed as the new Vice President of LGNSW for the next 11 months.

The next LGNSW general election will be held at the Annual Conference in November 2025.

Cr Turley said highlights during her presidency included entering into a new Intergovernmental Agreement, holding 2 successful Rural and Regional Summits, forcing the NSW and Federal Government to look at the dire state of financial sustainability for local government, working on the growing burden of cost shifting onto local government, achieving change to the rate peg methodology, and the declaration of a statewide roads emergency following torrential rain and floods.

Cr Turley wished Mayor Miller success in her role as President.

“Local Government is THE most important sphere of government – we not only represent our community, but we work with them to make our neighbourhoods more liveable, to provide essential services, to facilitate a sense of connectedness and to deliver vital infrastructure and facilities,” she said.

Of the state’s 128 Councils, 118, including Clarence Valley Council are members of LGNSW.