People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who are interested in Standing for the Mob at the local government elections are invited to come and yarn with Aboriginal Councillors from around NSW on Wednesday 8 June 2016 at the Moree Plains Shire Council Chambers.
Director of Corporate Services Mitchell Johnson explained the Aboriginal Councillors have walked in two worlds – firstly, being part of the mob, and then having to adjust to political life as an elected member of council.
“The visiting Aboriginal Councillors are coming to Moree to yarn about the deadly vibe that’s impacted their life, their people and their country. They will talk about how they learnt to use their knowledge to develop policies and make decisions on what is the best way to strengthen communities.”
Moree Plains Shire Council serves a very diverse community and this diversity should be reflected in those elected to represent the interests of the community which is why Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan Committee has organised this pre-election information session to give prospective candidates of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent an insight into the roles and responsibilities of councillors in their communities.
“We as Kamilaroi people have strong historical and cultural ties to our communities and the land and the best way to influence change for the future is to be involved in the decision-making process, so I want to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live in Moree, Boggabilla, Toomelah, Mungindi, Pallamallawa and all the other towns to come and chat to the councillors about how they found their voice and what impact Council life had on them.”
Moree Plains Shire Council may consider running pre-election information sessions on ‘Becoming a Councillor’ with opportunities to discuss the roles and responsibilities of councillors in their communities. Information for prospective candidates is available at www.mpsc.nsw.gov.au/index.php/about-us/the-council/become-a-councillor
