Camden Council celebrated Local Government Week by recognising the next generation of community leaders through its annual Mayor for a Day public speaking competition.
Local Government Week, which ran from Monday 3 to Sunday 9 August, celebrates the valuable role councils play in delivering infrastructure, services, programs and facilities that help communities thrive.
The Mayor for a Day competition invited Year 6 students from schools across the Camden Local Government Area to deliver a three-minute speech outlining why they would like to be Mayor of Camden and the ideas they would introduce to help shape the future of the local area.
Mayor of Camden, Cr Therese Fedeli, said all students who participated demonstrated an impressive understanding of local government and a genuine passion for their community.
“Local Government Week is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the important role councils play in supporting our communities every day,” she said.
“Our Mayor for a Day competition gives young people the chance to learn more about local government while sharing their own ideas for Camden’s future.
“I’d like to congratulate all of the students who took part. Their confidence, creativity and enthusiasm for making a positive difference in our community were truly inspiring.”
Following a judging reception held at the Council Chambers, Christopher from St Clare’s Catholic Primary School was named Mayor, Aria from Barramurra Public School was named Deputy Mayor and Anakai from St Justin’s Catholic Primary School was named the Highly Commended, with all three receiving Harry Hartog gift vouchers. Christopher also experienced the ceremonial role of Mayor by wearing the Mayoral robes and chains, visiting the Mayor’s office and sitting in the Mayor’s chair.
The judging panel assessed each speech on presentation, knowledge of local government, understanding of the Camden area and the students’ ideas for improving the community.
