In November 2022, I was elected as Mayor of South Australia’s largest metropolitan council.
I am seeking to find ways to ensure a wide range of voices are head and contributing to decision-making, not just the loudest ones.
Being Mayor is also about being chief cheerleader and advocate, and in my role I am keen to celebrate what’s working well, to help get obstacles out of the way, and most importantly to unleash and unlock possibilities for our community.
I am future focussed and that means considering decisions not just for today, but with tomorrow in mind. A question I often ask myself is what kind of ancestor do I want to be? In local government we make decisions that impact the future and what resources will be available for the next generation. We are also the custodians of the resources we have inherited. Not acting to accelerate our response to mitigate the impacts of climate is very important to me. I am proud the newly elected Chamber of the City of Onkaparinga made a climate emergency declaration in their first meeting of 2023.
As Mayor, I like to ask strategic questions that will reveal our values and help us find our way to innovative solutions. For example, asking ‘How do you think we can find common ground with this issue?’, encourages people to see what they hold in common and can build a bridge between opposing views. There is so much polarisation in our nation at the moment and indeed around the world, I think it is the role of the Mayor to help bring all kinds of thinking to the table. Another helpful question is are they any values we might all share to help us find our way to the next step? Keeping an open mind and an open-heart builds confidence and trust.
These are the skills and experience I bring to my role as Mayor and I look forward to continue to learn from community leaders as I grow into the role.
