Swipers Gully Ward Councillor Frances Eyre has been elected the new Mayor of Nillumbik Shire Council.
Cr Eyre was elected Mayor at an Extraordinary Meeting of Council last night.
Sugarloaf Ward Councillor Ben Ramcharan was elected Deputy Mayor.
Cr Eyre said it was an enormous honour to be elected to lead Nillumbik.
“As your new Mayor, I say to our community: I am here to listen. I am here to act on your behalf, and in your best interests.”
“I look forward to getting out to all our townships and communities, to ensure your voice is heard right across Council,” Cr Eyre said.
“Over the past year, our Council has laid the groundwork for what we want to achieve over our term, particularly through our Council Plan. We’ve undertaken a lot of consultation to bring our community with us as we work through important issues.”
Cr Eyre thanked outgoing Mayor Peter Perkins.
“I’ve learnt a lot from your leadership of our Council, and truly appreciate the help you’ve given me as I’ve navigated my role as a new councillor,” Cr Eyre said.
Cr Ramcharan said that at age 25, it was an honour to be the youngest ever Deputy Mayor of Nillumbik.
“My goal in life is to make a difference in the world and leave it a better place than I found it. Being a Councillor and now Deputy Mayor, gives me the opportunity to effect real positive change for our community and the environment.”
“I really hope this shows young people in our community that you can do this. You can be elected to public office and be in a position to make a real difference.
“It’s incredibly important to have young people represented at all levels of government and able to provide their insight and perspective.”
The Extraordinary Meeting also saw the appointment of Chairpersons for the Planning and Consultation Committee, and representatives on Internal Advisory Committees and External Organisations.
Cr Peter Perkins was appointed as Chairperson for Planning Matters on the Planning and Consultation Committee, while Cr Geoff Paine was elected Chairperson for Consultation Matters.
For the full list of Councillor representatives go to our website
