I have been a member of depa since 2005 when I commenced work as a Cadet Town Planner with Tumut Shire Council. I have worked for Wagga Wagga City Council for the past 14 years, where I am a delegate and chair of the Consultative Committee, and am currently employed as a Senior Town Planner.

I first joined the Committee of Management in 2018 and have served as President since 2020. I am proud of the role that depa plays in local government, always on the front foot and busy taking action, while others are often still wondering what to do. The union is respected in both the industry and government and is always in the fight for its members.

I am seeking re-election as President so I can continue to help contribute to the strategic operation of the union and to achieve positive outcomes for the benefit of the whole membership. Having lived with cancer for the past nine years, I believe that I bring a unique insight to the Committee, as an individual balancing a serious medical condition with full-time work.

I'm a long-standing member of this association and have an interest in protecting the rights and benefits of local government employees and in particular the planning, development and environmental health and building professionals which depa represents.

Further, I have a strong conviction in limiting any further erosion of the regulatory oversight of the building and development industry that has occurred over the years which has resulted in poor, unsafe building practices and a lack of consumer protection. I would be privileged to be given the opportunity to continue my association and work with depa as a member of the Committee of Management.

14 May 2024 will be 40 years working for depa and for almost 38 of those years, we've been fighting term contracts. The first article was published in the December 1986 issue of what was then called Health Surveyors’ News and now, building on the historic consensus with LGNSW and the unions, we are so close to having legislative changes that will revert senior staff (other than the GM) to coverage under the Award, I almost taste it - confidently, by the end of the year and potentially earlier.

We were the most vigorous opponents of private certification (we ensured existing members went into accreditation levels on the recommendation of their councils) we can claim responsibility for the provisions in the 2020 Award requiring councils to provide "adequate staff and other resources to enable employees to carry out their duties and functions over the course of working hours that are not unreasonable", and the 2023 Award provides a right to disconnect that only 12 months or so later started to be contemplated in the Fair Work Commission.

The commitment to fight something for 38 years and our dogged determination generally means no one can claim depa doesn't have true grit.

Phone: 9712 5255
Email: 

In working for local government in Western Sydney for almost 25 years, my role in infrastructure planning for some of Australia's fastest-growing areas, has focussed on facilitating planning for infrastructure in support of financially sustainable urban growth. What I've observed over that time, is the opportunity for improvement in the local government industry to support the skillset needed, in retaining the resources required to serve local communities to that end.

Having been a depa member for over 10 years, and a delegate on Council's Consultative Committee for the last 3 years, in nominating as a depa Committee Member, I would offer the following statement for consideration:

"The opportunity of working in local government can be both challenging and rewarding in equal measure, but at the end of the day, it's the people (Council staff) that make the difference. In this regard, depa continues to represent for its members all those virtues that would see local government as an industry of choice of any workforce. In this regard, I would welcome the opportunity to positively contribute toward depa's Committee of Management in supporting the ongoing service to all depa members across NSW".

l am an Environmental Health Officer at Blacktown City Council and have been for over 15 years. Coming from a strong union minded community, I joined depa upon my first few days of starting my career at Blacktown. I found the courage to volunteer myself as a delegate some 7 years later, which has allowed me some amazing experiences. During this time I have represented members of the Staff Consultative Committee, participated in policy review, and have been involved in negotiating Enterprise Agreements, as well as a range of other activities.

I hold a deep appreciation and respect for the work of unions and am especially proud of the role depa plays in local government and its commitment to its members. Being the newbie amongst a team of experienced and professional members I can only proclaim to give it my very best!

I very much look forward to continuing on as part of the Committee of Management tor depa.

I have over twenty-five years of experience in Local Government, working in a range of positions including Building Surveying, Planning, and Environmental Health. I have also worked in a range of Councils including small rural Councils (Bland and Junee Shire), metropolitan (Parramatta City) and large regional Councils (Wyong Shire and now Central Coast).

I believe that my experience in Local Government allows me to better understand the issues faced by depa members and the industry in general. I have also been the depa delegate at Parramatta City and Bland Shire Councils so I've had considerable experience representing members on various workplace reform committees, consultative committees and in the IRC.

I am extremely proud of the role that depa plays within the industrial framework of Local Government and our reputation, whilst hard-earned, speaks for itself. If we're involved, there's a fight to be fought.

I've been a member of the Committee of Management for thirteen years now, nine of those as Vice President. During this time I've been involved in setting the strategic direction of the association, as well as representing the Union in a number of forums. I look forward to continuing my role on the depa Committee of Management.

I am a senior town planner working in Strategic Planning at Hilltops Council since 2018.

My family moved to rural NSW from Sydney to seek out a different lifestyle and new opportunities. As a lone small rural Council planner, I understand wearing different hats and undertaking a range of projects as well as the grind of metro planners from previous local government experience.

As the depa delegate on my Council's Consultative Committee, I raise questions from members and contribute at meetings to clarify and receive feedback from Council's Executive.

At present, I have been advocating for and advising members as Council goes through a Workplace Change process. This has involved discussing with individual members the impact of the proposed changes and supporting members to preserve their rights and benefits. Also explaining the workplace change process under the Local Government Award and speaking to and seeking clarity from the Council Executive about the impact of proposed changes on members.

I have been nominated for the first time to be a member of the Committee of Management 10 gain experience and learn to advocate for members rights, whilst contributing to support members like depa has for me as a local government planner.

Phone: 6384 2539
Email: