Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Matt Burnett is the new President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) – the peak body for Australia’s 537 local governments.
Mayor Burnett – who has been an ALGA Board member for eight years and a Vice President for the past four years – was elected at the annual general meeting in Canberra today.
With an impressive local government career spanning nearly 25 years, Mayor Burnett said he was honoured to be elected President and looked forward to putting local communities first by securing extra funding for councils.
“My life is in local government, and it’s a tremendous privilege to accept this important leadership role to advocate on behalf of all councils across Australia,” Mayor Burnett said.
“By working together with all levels of government, our councils and communities can not just survive, but thrive and deliver local solutions to national challenges.
“Local governments stand ready to play a more effective role in supporting the Federal Government’s national policy priorities and key targets. But to achieve this, we urgently need serious federal funding increases – not just pocket money.
“As President, my major focus will be advocating for more support so councils can remain financially sustainable. I also want to forge stronger partnerships with governments to meet the challenges and embrace opportunities to build more houses, improve local infrastructure, prepare for natural disasters and support the nation’s energy transition.”
Mayor Burnett also paid tribute to his predecessor former City of Sydney councillor Linda Scott.
“Over the past four years, Linda has made a significant contribution to our sector as ALGA President and I hope to build on this success. I sincerely thank Linda for her outstanding leadership, determination and effective advocacy on behalf of all councils,” Mayor Burnett said.
The AGM also saw Councillor Karen Chappel AM JP from the Shire of Morawa in Western Australia and Councillor Darriea Turley AM from Broken Hill City Council in New South Wales elected as ALGA’s Vice Presidents for the next two years.
Mayor Burnett said: “I’m so excited to get started and work alongside the Vice Presidents, ALGA’s Board and our members to achieve the best outcomes and solutions for all councils across Australia to build stronger, vibrant and more liveable communities.”