Readers of this column will know that I often refer to the Local Government Act 1993. Specifically, Sections 230(1) and 290(1)(b) are relevant to a pivotal event this Thursday: the election of the Mayor for Dubbo Regional Council.
Among the 128 Councils in New South Wales, 93 elect their Mayor internally. Dubbo is one such Council. The Act mandates that Mayoral elections must be held within three weeks of a full Council election and again in September at the Council term's midpoint. However, this term comes with a COVID-19 asterisk, making it rather unusual. Its length has been reduced to 2 years, 8 months, and 23 days due to two delays in the Council election. Nonetheless, the Act insists that Mayoral elections must be in September. So, this Thursday, our Council meeting will commence with elections for the Mayor and possibly the Deputy Mayor.
After what feels like an extended job interview lasting 644 days, I’ll be again putting my name forward for the Mayoral position. My performance during this period will be scrutinised by my fellow Councillors, who will decide if I should serve until the next full election on 14 September 2024.
Section 226 (c) of the Act describes the Mayor as the governing body's spokesperson. Considering communication as vital, I've been proactive in media interactions, tallying up 509 interviews across radio, newspaper and television. This outreach is complemented by 49 episodes of the ‘Straight from the Mayor’s Mouth’ podcast with over 60 hours of content in addition to 90 weekly Mayoral Memo columns. I am very comfortable that I am satisfying the intent of this part of the Act.
Another crucial responsibility under Section 226 is representation at various organisational levels, outlined in Part (m). I've travelled out of Dubbo 53 times to represent our community at platforms like the Alliance of Western Councils; Regional Cities NSW; Regional Capitals Australia and many more.
Part (b) highlights the importance of community cohesion, underlining the need for a positive working relationship among Councillors. To foster this, I've conducted 120 one-on-one meetings with Councillors to establish a robust foundation for community unity.
Under Part (i), the Act emphasises fostering partnerships between Council and key external entities. I've honoured this by holding 108 meetings with representatives from both government and private sectors.
Engagement with the local community is underscored in Part (k). To facilitate this, I've reinstated Community Leaders' Breakfasts and Mayoral Developers Forums. Furthermore, I am accessible via mobile and email, receiving over 18,163 emails and sending 14,089 during this term. The number of phone calls is impossible to count, but it’s not uncommon for me to receive up to 20 Council-related calls a day.
These are the metrics for the last 644 days. I sincerely hope to continue serving this wonderful community and increasing these numbers following Thursday's election.
Councillor Mathew Dickerson
Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council