Self-described “born and bred Territorian” Rebecca Want de Rowe was elected to the City of Darwin in 2014 at the age of 29.
She was nominated as a Local Government High Achiever by fellow Alderman Bob Elix, who said it has been a “breath of fresh air to have young people like her on our Council”.
He nominated Alderman Want de Rowe specifically for her efforts in changing the Council’s attitude towards same sex marriage, which the City of Darwin took to the National General Assembly (NGA) as a motion that passed in June this year.
Alderman Want de Rowe agreed that is her ‘biggest achievement to date’ and at the time she told Local Government Focus the local government sector’s decision “sends a strong signal to other levels of government”.
Elix said Want de Rowe was instrumental in garnering support for the vote at the City of Darwin, which involved several emotional Council meetings that allowed community members to tell their personal stories.
Want de Rowe said she has a natural predilection towards helping people, which led her to stand for local government.
“I started my career working as an Organiser with SDA [retail union] and started working for the Territory Government.
“I realised I had a passion for helping people and decided to get involved with my local Council.”
She also has a background in real estate and now owns a small boutique Property Management agency.
Being able to make a tangible difference to the community is one of the key rewards of working in local government, the Alderman said.
“I got involved in Council because it deals with matters that affect every day people on a day to day basis.
“I like that in the Territory it is not political and I can make a real impact on my community by improving council facilities.”
Some of her key concerns are around enhancing public amenities: “Some of my passions are parks and playgrounds as I am a mum of two; I also have a strong passion for responsible pet ownership.”
She said she appreciates the diversity of the Darwin community.
“The people I meet are what I enjoy most about my job. Darwin has great diversity and this job allows me to meet people from all walks of life and, if I am lucky enough, I am able to make a positive impact to their lives.”
A key challenge in the Alderman role, she said, “is remembering that I am not able to help everyone and I can’t keep everyone happy”.
Into the future, Alderman Want de Rowe is keeping her options open: “I would like to run for one more term, other than that, there are no plans.”
