Women underrepresented on councils across NSW

LOCAL Government NSW ((LGNSW) is calling for more female representation on elected councils in NSW.

Council representatives from across the state gathered in Sydney on Friday for the peak body’s International Women’s Day event.

Mayor Darcy Byrne, President of LGNSW, said the event was an excellent opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the role of women in the local government sector across NSW

Addressing mayors, councillors and council staff, Mayor Byrne said while there had been gains in female representation on councils across the state, there was still much more work to be done.

“At present, we’re tracking at about 41 percent female representation on our elected councils in NSW,” said Mayor Byrne.

“While it’s pleasing to see this is up slightly from 39 percent at the 2021 election, it’s still behind our state counterparts who sit at 44 percent across the Parliament,” he said.

“And down in Canberra, our federal colleagues are up at 49.6 percent – the closest to parity yet.

“So, it’s absolutely an area where local government is shamefully lagging behind,” he said.

In areas News Of The Area covers, Dungog Shire has one female councillor (from seven), Port Stephens has two (from 10), MidCoast has three (from 11), Port Macquarie has four (from nine), Kempsey Shire has four (from nine), Nambucca Valley has four (from nine), Coffs Harbour has three (from nine), and Bellingen has three (from seven).

Mayor Byrne pointed to concerns over appropriate remuneration for mayors and councillors as a contributing factor to the under representation.

“We simply have to get the pay right for Mayors and Councillors if we want genuine diversity in our council chambers,” he said.

“This year’s theme of International Women’s Day is ‘balancing the scales’, and I reckon increasing representation in local government is a pretty good place to start,” Mayor Byrne said.