For the first time in Australian history, out of the 12 Mayors across New England, half of appointed are female. With such a great balance of skill sets and experience spread across the region, the future is decidedly bright.
Meet Mayor Tiffany Galvin from Gwydir and Mayor Colleen Fuller from Gunnedah.
Meet the Mayor of Gwydir, Tiffany Galvin
“Success is doing the best I can and being happy with what I achieve.”
In 1983, when Tiffany Galvin was a teenager, her family moved from the busy Sydney suburb of Chatswood to the small town of Bingara from Chatswood.
“As soon as I arrived here, I knew it was home, and I have loved growing up here and raising my own family here,” she says.
Tiffany works casually as a nurse, owns two butcher shops in Bingara and Narrabri with husband Damien, while also stepping up to be the Mayor of Gwydir. But with her three children having grown up and moved out of home, she doesn’t seem phased by the juggle.
“I work at Bingara Community Practice, and nursing has always been my passion,” she says. “I’ve always loved caring for people, and we enjoy running small businesses, so it all just works.”
Tiff, as she is known, has been working on the council for the last eight years, and this is her third term.
“I feel extremely honoured to have been elected as Mayor, and I intend to give it 110 per cent,” she says. “I am grateful to be the first female Mayor for Gwydir Shire Council, and the role suits me, as I have always loved the community and always wanted to be heavily involved in everything going on.”
Tiff admits that politics has never really been her thing, and that it’s community that she has always been devoted to.
“Being a nurse, a business owner and a resident of our shire, I have always seen issues that I’ve wanted to improve,” she explains. “Eight years ago, our Deputy Mayor Catherine Egan talked me into running for council, and I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to help our shire. Although, I admit that I was very green, had so much to learn, and I am still learning. I have a lot of drive though, and I always wanted to be successful in life.”
Tiff admits that being Mayor means that there’s always a million emails, regular conferences to attend, presentations to be at, and as she wants to retain her role as a nurse and still be involved with their businesses, so it’s going to take a solid plan to keep everything balanced.
“New England is lucky to have so many female Mayors to support one another,” she says. “I am really looking forward to catching up with them all at Country Mayors and discussing ideas and issues and being able to work closely together.
“Our shire is not just ‘The tale of two towns’ – there are all of the surrounding villages in our shire to consider, and we all have different needs when it comes to roads, infrastructure, health, and the list goes on,” Tiff says.
“The important thing is for us to focus on all of the needs of each area, and to bring them all together. I have always believed in listening to what people want and need, finding answers and solutions, and getting back to them. That’s how I operate in business too – with my main aim always being to listen to the community and then do the best job I can.”
Tiff loves her region and feels so lucky to call Bingara home.
“We are so lucky with what we have here, and sometimes people take it for granted and focus on the negatives. Then visitors come to the region from big cities and comment on how lucky we are and how beautiful it is, and that brings everything back into perspective for me.
“We live in the best part of the world, and we need to protect what we have, and continue to make it a great place to live, and an even better place to visit.”
Meet the Mayor of Gunnedah, Colleen Fuller
“Success for me, is working hard to achieve the best results for our community.”
Mayor Colleen Fuller has been involved in local government for the past 25 years, and has had a long involvement with community organisations, including Meals on Wheels.
“It’s a privilege to be the Mayor of Gunnedah Shire, and a role I don’t take lightly,” she says. “I saw that this opportunity as an effective way to serve my community and, hopefully, make a positive difference.”
Two people well known to Gunnedah locals, and to many beyond the shire, have influenced Colleen’s journey to become Mayor.
“The late Mikie Maas is a wonderful influence for me,” she says. “Mikie was passionate about Australia and instrumental in the strong connection we still have with the great poet Dorothea Mackellar today. She had an amazing way of energising people and the community to achieve so much together.”
The late Bill Clegg was also a great inspiration for Colleen.
“Bill served on Council for 43 years, including as Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and was very committed to improving our shire through projects such as our pool and the Remembrance Grove.”
Having been a Councillor for 21 years, Colleen has been through many challenges alongside her community – from Covid, to economic downturns, and from drought to floods.
“During those times, people look to Council to lead and that is not always easy,” she says. “We have to work with the resources we have, and work hand-in-hand with other levels of government. And we have been faced with escalating costs and responsibilities – in most cases, without additional funding. Sometimes being a Councillor includes making tough decisions.”
Colleen believes that over the past 15 years, the dynamics of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) has played a part in there being more women in government and leadership positions.
“This term in Gunnedah Shire we have a majority of women in our Council team, including a female Mayor and Deputy Mayor,” she notes. “That has never happened before, and it is a most welcome sign of increasing inclusivity in local government.
“This is an area ALGWA has already put significant work into, by encouraging women to nominate for local government and promoting employment for people of all genders and backgrounds in local government,” she adds. “The association has provided a support network and actively promoted inclusivity. I believe we are in a good place in Gunnedah Shire – six female Councillors showcase this!”
Colleen has always had a strong conviction that every person in the community is important, from the very young to the elderly, and this is something she wants to continue to champion as Mayor.
“No one should be left behind, and everyone should be heard. I like to listen to what people have to say and keep in mind that local government is truly all about our community.” she says.
“Sharing and caring is something our Gunnedah community does very well, and I have noticed that this is also a strength right across New England.”
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