The strong country women of Moree have always been a force to be reckoned with, and there may very well be an all female council after this election, with only four men on the ballot, and none of them currently on council.
The potential spoiler is Peter Mailler, former head of the Country Minded party and well known ag leader. There’s only one group ticket on the ballot too – that of current Deputy Mayor Susannah Pearse.
The interesting one to watch will be what the voters do with Kelly James. It’s not clear that anyone in the Moree Plains outside of council members and staff are aware of the controversy, but suffice to say it was enough for her colleagues to take the extraordinary action of censuring (formal process to record a reprimand of sorts) her in July of this year for breach the Code of Conduct and “offensive, threatening, and intimidating conduct and, if the conduct is made public, is likely to bring Council into disrepute”.
However, most will just know of Ms James for her frequent posts on Facebook and not engage more than knowing her name – which is all it usually takes to win some cheap votes in a local council election. Perhaps the matters should have been made public so the voters could be better informed?
All candidates are shown in the order they will appear on the ballot. Click on the group to reveal the candidates. Candidate biographies are only included from those candidates who have supplied them.
See the NSW Electoral Commission’s website for where and how to vote information.
PEARSE Susannah About Susannah Pearse is a 42 year old mum to 3 who together with her husband Oscar runs a mixed farming business between Moree and Pallamallawa. She is a current councillor and Deputy Mayor, and an experienced board member with expertise in marketing, economic development and communications. She is also currently completing a Masters of Business Administration. Most important issue The community have made it clear that crime and community safety are key concerns and Council needs to work productively with the State and Federal Governments to ensure that initiatives deliver real change on the ground – both improved safety and also improved outcomes for at-risk youth. A key strategic area of focus in the longer term must be attracting new and diverse industries to the region. Whilst we are fortunate to have such a strong agriculture industry, it will continue to employ fewer people and hence to grow our region requires jobs in new industries. We need to work with state government to ensure the Special Activation Precinct is a success but also enable local business growth and expansion through our planning and development processes. Vote for me because… I will work hard to restore community trust in council. For me that begins with the basics – a strong customer service focus in all that council does, and open, honest and regular communication with the community. I have shown in my last term of council that I am a highly committed councillor. I show up and yes, apply scrutiny, but also strive to be part of the solution. We need councillors who won’t just sling mud, but also will work together productively, finding the common ground and real solutions to the challenges. With that in mind, I am determined to continue to fight for better on project delivery and financial management, but also on our roads. Our agricultural industry is nothing if it cannot get its product to market and to that extent the state of our unsealed road network is unacceptable. It will take a complete re-think of how we fund and deliver maintenance and renewal to get them into a better state. We will need to pull funds from elsewhere in the budget to achieve it and that is a challenge I am up for. Website: https://www.facebook.com/SusannahPearsefortheMoreePlains See our interview |
| SAUER Brooke |
| HODGKINSON Dominique |
DILLON Meryl About Lifetime resident, extensive experience 13 years councillor, Chair/Vice chair and member regional boards and committees. Including Area Health and Regional Development. Most important issue Moree Plains has a big issue with community safety and well-being. Addressing the problem of youth crime in the community is of major importance. We have an extensive road network that was severely damaged during the flood several years ago and it needs fixing without further delay. Vote for me because… Having had extensive experience and background I have the knowledge and skills to help my community about which I am passionate. It needs wise counsel in order to address all the issues that are facing our future from finding ways to diversify our economy, improve our social problems to ensuring all grant options are fully explored. I know the various communities in the Shire and I am always open to assist wherever possible. Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563910025916 |
| MUNN Karen |
| JAMES Kelly |
| TAYLOR Liz |
| CASSELLS Kerry |
| IVANOV Michael |
| COCHRANE Mekayla |
| TIGHE Wayne |
MAILLER Peter About I am a 53yo farmer. I own and run a grain and cattle farm between Boggabilla and Boomi with my wife. I have an extensive background in governance through a range of roles in rural advocacy over several decades. I am a fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and hold a degree in agricultural science. Most important issue Everybody has a pet issue of sort. In the context of local government, I have seen a range of issues and failures in delivery of services that stem from failures in governance and accountability between shire council executive and shire councillors. I have seen a shift in addressing this in the Moree Plains Shire Council that needs to be supported to improve the delivery of services across the full spectrum of council services. Specifically, I have seen a failure in maintenance of the rural road network which is impacting agricultural enterprise the underpins the biggest economic driver in the Moree local government area. There is a genuine need to improve the effectiveness of the funding allocations to a range of works to improve outcomes. Vote for me because… There are fifteen candidates in the Moree Plains Shire contest. It is vital that the council is well informed about and considers the needs of all ratepayers and constituents. It is essential that there is a diversity in the makeup of the council that can reflect the diversity of the ratepayers and constituents. In the past the council has included one or more grumpy farmers to ensure rural ratepayers were well heard. I think I am the only candidate who lives more than fifty kilometres from Moree and doesn’t regard Moree as my primary service centre. If you have a concern about the service and consideration to rural ratepayers, you should consider me as the next grumpy farmer committed to rural issues. Website: https://petemailler.com.au/ See our interview |
| WILLIAMS Debra |
| RITCHIE Stephen |
MCGRADY Frederick About A descendant of the Gomeroi Nation. Born and raised at Toomelah and Boggabilla communities. Living in Moree with my family, a grandfather. Always lived and employed in rural NSW. Public Servant for 30 years. Most important issue Giving the communities a strong voice to Local, State and Federal Governments. Accountability and Transparency. Vote for me because… I care for all constituents of our Shire. My concerns are having access to safe recreational activities for our children, where they live. A Safe community for all areas of our Shire. Local Council is accessible to remote communities regularly. Seniors should have access to Library Services in their homes. |
See all our coverage for the Local Government elections 2024. Candidates can submit information here and we’ll get it up when we can.