Former Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) President Troy Pickard has been remembered as a fierce advocate for local government.
Mr Pickard, whose career in local government spanned 16 years, died suddenly in Perth earlier this month. He was 48.
Elected as a City of Stirling councillor in 2001, Mr Pickard later won elected office at the City of Joondalup, where he served as Mayor from 2006-17.
He was elected Deputy President of the West Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) in 2007, becoming president in 2010.
In 2007, Mr Pickard was appointed a director of ALGA. He was elected President in 2014, serving a two-year term.
Mr Pickard successfully led ALGA’s campaign to restore the indexation of Financial Assistance Grants, controversially frozen by the Coalition government in 2014.
ALGA’s success in securing an extra $1.105 billion in Roads to Recovery funding in June 2015 – the biggest single funding injection local government had received from the Federal government to that time – was another highlight of Mr Pickard’s term as president.
ALGA President Linda Scott said Mr Pickard’s contributions to local government were significant and lasting.
“His passion and energy were evident in all that he did on behalf of local communities, and local government owes him a debt of gratitude for helping to end the indexation freeze on Federal Assistance grants.”
“Our deepest condolences go to Troy’s family, friends, and the Joondalup community,” Cr Scott said.