COUNCILLORS from around NSW gathered in Sydney for an aspiring mayors’ seminar last weekend.
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The seminar was aimed at current mayors and deputy mayors, as well as councillors aspiring to those positions.
Councillor Rob Hooke represented Gunnedah Shire Council (GSC) at the event, and said the weekend was very beneficial.
“The seminar gave an overall view into the workings of council and specifically the role of mayor,” Cr Hooke said.
“It was a very beneficial for any councillor looking to understand their own council better or who has aspirations to take on the role of mayor.”
Cr Hooke said discussions with representatives from 16 councils from around the state at the seminar gave him great insight.
“There was a lot of focus on procedure and protocols which will really come in handy,” he said.
“Among the councillors some come from councils that have had issues with disruption at their meetings.
“So in terms of how to deal with those kinds of issues, there was quite a few helpful tools to deal with those issues.”
The seminar also included discussions highlighting the differences between the three levels of Australian government.
“It was helpful in highlighting the differences and responsibility of the three levels of government,” Cr Hooke said.
“People often say we are over-governed in Australia and there is one too many levels of government, but after having the three levels clearly defined I don’t think that’s the case.”
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Cr Hooke said the seminar helped put the performance of GSC into perspective.
“I think when you discuss and look at other councils and compare them to ours, I think we are doing a pretty good job,” he said.
“We have a progressive mayor, a hard-working team and overall a strong relationship between the councillors and council staff.
“Overall, I think that was the most important thing I took from the weekend.”