Mayor Susannah Pearse and Deputy Mayor Wayne Tighe have been returned unopposed at Moree Plains Shire Council, both securing another two years at the helm.
Councillors resolved to fix the Deputy Mayor’s term to match the Mayor’s, before acting General Manager Ian Stoneman, acting as returning officer, confirmed only one nomination had been received for Deputy Mayor. He declared Deputy Mayor Tighe elected unopposed.
“We did not all know each other when we started this wild ride together, but I have to say I have immense respect for all of you,” Mayor Pearse told fellow councillors.
Turning to her deputy, she said: “You are incredibly passionate about this shire, and you always make yourself available.”
“You work a room like no one I’ve ever seen before.”
To her family, she said: “This is a crazy gig, and you guys are my number one supporters.”
“I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved in the last two years,” Mayor Pearse said, pointing to the reopening of the hot artesian pools and the Memorial Hall, and a return of tourists to the shire.
“We have got it down to $36 million,” she said of council debt, down from a high of $53.7 million.
Council has also signed off on a Special Activation Precinct deed, she said.
“That’s really exciting for the future of this shire, and I can’t wait to see that investment from the state government roll out in the next year or two.”
“We’ve also seen our floodworks commence in earnest.”
Looking to the new term, Mayor Pearse said: “We’ve still got more to go on the 50 meter pool.”
“We want to see a higher level of service delivered on our roads. Agriculture is what drives this shire, and it needs roads to get to market.”
“We’ve got exciting stuff on the agenda today with Kirkby Park and plans for our dear Rocket Park.”
“I also want to see our 23 kilometers of inland rail delivered.”
She thanked outgoing general manager Natalia Cowley, “who really did kind of whip this organisation into gear and get some things happening,” and acting general manager Ian Stoneman, “who has been a long-serving member of this council and has stepped in with aplomb to the position of acting general manager.”
“Our community are absolutely the fiercest advocates for this shire. They are also our fiercest critics,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Tighe congratulated Mayor Pearse on her reappointment.
“I’m actually very proud to sit next to you in the chair,” he said. “You are a huge supporter of our shire. When you go away, you’re like a dog at a bone.”
“…you put our community first when you go away to these meetings, and you are the biggest activist for all our community,” he said.
He thanked his fellow councillors, calling the job “not an easy gig.”
“It’s actually a big learning curve. I didn’t think coming into this position would be as tough as what it is, but I think we’ve risen to the challenge.”
He pointed to a citizenship ceremony as one of the highlights of his term, and said keeping council’s finances in order remained his priority.
“If finances are not on track within the community, we don’t have a community and it won’t survive,” he said.
Moree Plains was the last council in the New England to elect its mayor this week. Next week, three more councils go to a vote: Armidale Regional, Inverell Shire and Tenterfield Shire councillors meet on Wednesday, 23 September, followed by Glen Innes Severn on Thursday, 24 September.
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