The election will end the term of the current Council, which has served for an extended period of five years, after the Covid-19 outbreak caused the election to be delayed.
The extension required our Mayor and Councillors to work over and above the usual call of duty, and at a time when we were all faced with the tough challenges presented by the pandemic, the dedication of our nine-strong Councillor group provided experienced leadership through uncertain times.
The group held its final meeting last week, with some choosing to run for Council again and others deciding to move on.
With the term almost at an end, it’s now time for renewal, as we continue our AlburyCity purpose to empower progress, take care of our place, and serve our community with excellence.
Our outgoing Mayor, Kevin Mack, noted in the current council’s final meeting that we’ve made enormous strides over the past five years, with important infrastructure delivered or in progress. Some of the highlights have been the delivery of the redevelopment of Lavington Sports Ground, the opening of our new Regional Skate Park, the opening of the Davey Road freeway ramps, and our ongoing partnership with Wodonga Council to deliver significant improvements to both cities under the Two Cities One Community partnership.
Other major AlburyCity projects now under way and supported with some project funding by the NSW Government include the Riverside Precinct near the Albury Swim Centre and the extension of the Wagirra Trail at Wonga Wetlands.
The newly elected Council will have the responsibility of helping to drive these works forward while at the same time, working closely with the community to identify and deliver further improvements to our growing regional city.
That’s why it’s important we all exercise our duty to vote on 4 December. By being ‘vote-ready’ now, we’ll all be in a good position to elect the candidates we believe will be the best representatives for our city and our families.
Local government is at the very grassroots of the democratic process. Our Councillors are often people we know, and as locals who’ve put up their hands for community service, they’re at the front line of the representation we need at a local, state, and federal level.
In January, the new Councillors will elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayor to begin a new Council leadership structure for our city.
By voting this December, you’ll be in the driver’s seat when it comes to determining our city’s future. We’re looking forward to a period of significant growth over the coming decades and the leaders we choose to represent us will help to deliver the frameworks we need to make that growth successful and sustainable.
So, on behalf of all of us at AlburyCity as we prepare to farewell our current Councillor group and welcome newcomers, we extend sincere thanks to our Councillors for their work over the current term and thank all the candidates for their interest in serving our community.
Thank you in advance for adding your voice to local democracy and we look forward to another term of delivering on our community and Council strategic priorities that have to date and that will in the future make Albury an even better place to live, work and invest.