In January 2005 I started working forward Tumut Shire Council as a Cadet Town Planner. On my second day in the job I joined depa. From Tumut Shire Council I moved to Wagga Wagga City Council where I have worked for the past 16 years and am currently employed as a Senior Town Planner. I am the depa delegate and chair of the Consultative Committee.

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 continue to help contribute to the strategic operation of the union and to achieve positive outcomes for the benefit of the whole membership. Local government continues to face resourcing challenges, and I am keen to keep playing a role as part of the depa Committee of Management highlighting these challenges.

I am a health and building surveyor and have been in local government for the last 45 years. I have been a long-standing member of the Development and Environmental Professionals Association (depa) and have been on the committee of Management for a number of years.

I have a strong conviction in protecting the interests and rights of development and environmental professionals in local government. I have been the Chair and depa delegate on my Council’s Consultative Committee for the last 20 years and have advocated and advised depa members on many workplace disputes and restructures that have occurred over the years.

I look forward to continuing my role on the depa Committee of Management if re-elected.

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: 

I am woman hear me roar!

Now I have your attention, I'll leave the roaring to Helen Reddy and use my inside voice to tell you about me.

I have 30 years of wisdom gained as a town planner in roles from Trainee to Manager and currently Coordinator Land-Use Planning and Spatial Services.  My work has taken me from Goulburn, Gosford, Queanbeyan, Hilltops to Queanbeyan-Palerang Councils, with short sojourns into state and federal government, just to confirm why local government is for me.

Here, I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to be a depa delegate at Queanbeyan-Palerang, identifying issues and solutions, while also giving me the chance to get my "legislation/legal nerd" hat on, to go through our Award conditions.

A big part of my role as a town planner when looking at development and land-use change, is giving a voice to the environment, the future generations and the voiceless. I bring that skill and purpose in nominating for the Committee of Management. I would love the opportunity to give back to depa and contribute to the Committee by speaking up for those who need support and adding volume and weight for those quiet voices.

I'm here, listening.

Lorena is on extended leave and will be returning to the council in a few months and we will update her contact details then.

In working for local government in South Western Sydney for over 25 years, my role in strategic infrastructure planning in one of Australia's fastest growing areas has focused on facilitating planning for infrastructure in support of financially sustainable urban growth. What I've observed over that time is the ongoing need for improvement in the local government industry to develop and support the skilled workforce required, in retaining the resources needed to serve local communities.

Having been a depa member for over 12 years, a member of depa's Committee of Management for 2+ years and a delegate on the Council’s Consultative Committee for the last five years, in re-nominating as a depa Committee Member, I would offer the statement that it is the people that work in local government, but make a Council part of its local community. To this end, depa represents in its members all those virtues that would see local government as an industry of choice for any workforce. As a depa member, I would welcome the opportunity to continue to positively contribute towards depa's Committee of Management in supporting the ongoing service to all depa members across NSW.

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 fifteen 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.

I have been nominated for re-election into a second term as a member of the Committee of Management.

As a rural Council planner, I understand the wearing of different hats and doing different roles as well as the pressures of city planners from previous local government experience.

I am currently the Chair and depa delegate on my Councils Consultative Committee where I raise questions from members, facilitate meetings and clarify feedback between the Committee members and the Council’s Executive and HR departments. I have advocated and advised depa members as Council went through a Workplace Change restructure in 2020 one. This involved discussing the proposed changes and supporting members to preserve their rights and the benefits of working in local government. I assisted in preparing submissions, meeting alongside members as well as representing depa throughout the Workplace Change process.

I look forward to continuing my role on the depa Committee of Management if re-elected.

Phone: 6384 2539
Email: