A NEAR 30-year veteran in local government will lead Wentworth Shire Council to the next election in 2021.
Cr Susan Nichols was chosen randomly from two nominations for the shire’s top position to replace Melisa Hederics, who resigned suddenly citing health and personal reasons.
Cr Nichols and Cr Tim Elstone were nominated to fill the void left by Cr Hederics with the show of hands vote tied at four-all on Monday morning.
That left shire chief executive Ken Ross to decide the council’s new mayor by drawing one of the two names out of a hat.
Cr Elstone will remain deputy mayor until the New South Wales local government elections, delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are decided in September next year.
Cr Nichols was nominated by Cr Peter Nunan and seconded by Cr Don McKinnon, while Cr Elstone was nominated by Cr Steve Heywood and seconded by Cr Greg Evans.
Councillor Elstone had been acting in the mayoral role for the past two weeks.
In her acceptance speech, Cr Nichols said she was looking forward to serving as mayor and thanked her colleagues for entrusting her with the responsibility of leading council.
“I would like to thank the previous mayor, staff and fellow councillors,” she said.
“It’s not an easy job being a councillor and I think we all realise that.
“We have got a very good workforce … council will only be as good as its staff.
“The thing that I’m going to look forward to … is that we see that we have many grants, many proposals and things that we haven’t yet finished, that we get those items finished so this council goes out on a high, that they come in on cost and on time.”
Cr Nichols was first elected to the Shire of Mildura in 1991 before it was amalgamated under the Mildura Rural City Council banner and later went on to become deputy mayor with the Victorian municipality.
She briefly served the city as mayor from January to March 2003 following the death of the elected leader Ann Cox on Christmas Day 2002.
About four of those years she represented Mildura and Wentworth municipalities at the same time.
Cr Nichols said she looked forward to serving the community in the new role.
“I wish to congratulate the new Mildura councillors and those who have been there for some time and I believe we need to work with our big brother over the river,” she said.
“However, having said that, my main focus will be ratepayers, one, ratepayers, two, and ratepayers, three.
“These are exciting times for communities across our local government area and I encourage residents and business operators to take a proactive role in the development and growth of our Shire.
“We are Wentworth Shire councillors and that’s what we must be and I’m sure I can work with everybody in the room.”
Cr Elstone was gracious in defeat.
“Congratulations, you have my 150 per cent support as your deputy,” he told Cr Nichols.
The Wentworth Shire Council elections were scheduled for September this year however, due to coronavirus restrictions, the poll was postponed until next September.
