Mining heritage
Broken Hill is over 133 years old. Known for its history as a mining town, it was recently declared as Australia’s first heritage-listed city. There is also a strong unionism background – we created the eight-hour day. There have been so many innovations that have come out of mining, but mining isn’t the highest-income employer anymore; the industries with the most employees are health and welfare.
47 percent of our community is now on minimum wage, so it is up to local government to be the voice to other levels of government to invest in infrastructure in our area. And, we are still rich in resources.
We are quite remote, but we are an oasis in the desert. Everyone who comes to the community understands the soul of the town. We have just hosted three major conferences that have brought over 900 people to Broken Hill. We also host the Broken Heel festival – the only national drag festival –, which is creating a new buzz about the town. We joke that there are now more artists than miners in Broken Hill, and where a pub has closed down a gallery has opened up.
Health background
I was elected mayor this year, after spending 20 years in local government. It is the first time in 133 years that a female has been in the role. I am honoured to have been elected and I have a great team and great staff.
The Broken Hill mayor is a popularly elected role, and not a full-time position. For the last 10 years I have been manager for community engagement for Far West Local Health.
Before that, I was setting up HIV/AIDS and sexual health programs in rural areas. I worked all the way from Lightning Ridge on the Queensland border to the South Australian border and across to the Victorian border.
It taught me a lot about community and the value of the community and the importance of a sense of place. It also put me in a good position to run for council, as many people knew me.
The best part of being a councillor is talking to the community everyday. In a rural community you really get to know the people who live here. They will tell you what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong. It really is a 24/7 job.
Challenges and aspirations
The council has worked really hard; a few years ago we were about to run out of cash, but we have worked hard to bring the council into a viable position.
Council wants to play a leadership role in the way councils in the far west connect with each other. We’ve been in drought since 2004 and we’ve just had the rains again, but councils along the Darling River need to form an alliance to make sure the river is healthy.
Finance will always be the main issue for council. We need to have a campaign against cost shifting by the State Government. The lack of inter-planning between state and federal governments and local governments is also an issue. The constant isolation between government departments is a missed opportunity.
Looking ahead to the future, Council wants to further capitalise on the fact that Broken Hill is Australia’s first heritage-listed city. We want to look at how that can create local employment and local products around heritage. We have so much history – from the unions, to the Indigenous culture, right through to our film industry.
I want to see Broken Hill people proud of their community and I want people who visit to see Broken Hill as a living museum.
