Alderman Jo Sangster, Darwin City Council, NT
Q. How long have you been on Council?
I was elected in August 2001 as Darwin City Council’s youngest Councillor. Since being elected, I have had three children who are now aged six, four and two years old.
I think the juggling act of being a Councillor, working full time, and being a mum puts a lot of women off standing for Local Government. My advice has always been: don’t think about it too much, it will work out, just jump in and give it a go! I am very lucky to have a supportive husband who can cook, read bedtime stories and get a crying baby to sleep without calling me out of a meeting for advice – it’s a team effort.
Q. Why did you become involved in Local Government?
I thought many of the issues that I was concerned about were not being addressed – particularly the environment and youth issues. Darwin City Council has come a long way since then and is now well and truly a leading voice on environmental issues affecting our community.
I chaired the committee that developed and implemented Darwin City Council’s Environmental Management Plan, the most comprehensive plan of its type in the Northern Territory. Darwin is on the verge of massive industrial development in and around its harbour and it is critical that we have all the checks and balances in place to ensure our lifestyle and environment is protected.
Darwin also has a very young population and it is important that young people have a place of their own to hang out safely. Council is now in the process of developing a Youth Energy Precinct to meet these needs. As a former youth worker, I understand how young people can feel alienated and isolated if they are not actively engaged and respected by the community. I think the youth precinct will provide an opportunity for young people to express themselves in a variety of ways and it will be one of the most creative and meaningful projects that Darwin City Council will deliver in its current term.
Q. What is your favourite thing about your Council area?
I love the people of Darwin – they are warm, unpretentious and come from every corner of the globe. It is a place of great opportunity, where people will give you a chance.
We have a high population of Indigenous people and Indigenous culture is vibrant through the languages and performing arts. There are not many other communities where you will hear Greek, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese and Indigenous language on a trip to the local market. We are a very diverse community and all the richer for it.
Q. Tell us about your role as President of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association – Northern Territory (ALGWA NT).
The role of women in Local Government is a passion of mine, particularly encouraging and supporting young women and Indigenous women as leaders in their communities. I think the role of Indigenous women as agents of change has not been given the importance it deserves. Indigenous women are the leaders that have sought to protect children, mend broken families, address alcohol abuse and deliver a better life for their children. I have enormous respect for their resilience and patience. Local Government is a pathway through which many of these issues can be addressed productively.
I have been lucky enough to have had lots of support and encouragement from the elected women on Darwin City Council and I try to do the same for other women. I remember sitting in meetings as a newly elected member constantly asking my colleagues when I could interject or move motion and they patiently guided me through the process. I think this level of support and mentoring is critical for women entering Local Government.
ALGWA NT is currently setting up a mentoring program for women across the Territory. We are also holding the first Northern Territorywide gathering of Women in Local Government.
In the Northern Territory, women are well represented on most councils, but we still have a long way to go in relation to women in the top Local Government jobs – that glass ceiling needs to be smashed!
Q. Tell us about a memorable moment on council.
When I was first trying to get a budget allocation to develop the Environmental Management Plan, I was very nervous that I would not have the numbers and other councillors would not grasp its importance. I was overjoyed when the motion was passed without a hiccup. One of the oldest serving members on Council, at the time, has now become a great advocate of the environment, and climate change and the environment has become one of the top five issues for Darwin City Council.
It has been great to witness the growing awareness and commitment to environmental sustainability within Council reflecting the community’s concerns. I’m no longer a voice in the wilderness, but part of a very loud choir!
Alderman Sangster can be contacted by email at sangjo@austarnet.com.au
Councillor Tony Boulter, Deputy Vice President, Barkly Shire Council, NT
Q. How long have you been on Council?
I had served on Tennant Creek Town Council for 12 years to 2007, when it was absorbed into the Barkly Shire Council. Since then, I have continued to serve as Vice President of the new Shire.
Q. Why did you become involved in Local Government?
I was informed that if you had a complaint, get in and fix it. I’m still trying to fix it, but enjoy the variety of problems that arise in Local Government. It is an area where
people driven solutions can apply, with positive results for those involved.
Q. What makes your Council area special or different?
For a start, it is the second largest Local Government area in the world, being the size of Victoria and Tasmania combined. Barkly Shire Council has an interesting mix of Indigenous and non Indigenous people spread over various communities. The distances between communities are huge, with road conditions that can quickly change with sudden moods of weather. These very distances lead to communication, transport and supply problems. Viewing a problem may not be simply a ten minute run from the office, but a nine hour trip by four wheel drive. In remote communities, there are also staffing difficulties with attendant problems of accommodation needs, equipment, housing maintenance and similar issues.
Q. What issues are important to you?
Ensuring our constituents have a quality of life that could be reasonably expected to be found anywhere in Australia, despite their comparative isolation. One of our biggest problems is the Northern Territory Emergency Response (Intervention), which has been well received in some areas and not so well in others. I am concerned at the manner in which it was implemented with little regard for the feelings of people. At the entrance to each Indigenous community large signs can be viewed, ‘branding’ local residents as pedophiles or drunks. They have raised the community ire and certainly can be seen as ‘widening the gap’. My concern is that while there have been many positive aspects to the intervention, it appears to create engagement problems in some communities.
Q. Embracing the cultural diversity of the large Indigenous population and communicating effectively with them is one of Council’s aims. What are some of the ways it is doing this?
We are very fortunate in that our President and various Councillors are multilinguists and can communicate effectively throughout the Shire. We have a large Indigenous staff that assist us in these matters. While the working language is English, it may not always portray the true sense of people’s concerns. One initiative currently being considered by Council is the employment of Indigenous Liaison Officers.
Councillor Boulter can be contacted by email at dj@switch.com.au
