A Wingecarribee Shire councillor would like to see a local government workshop brought in for prospective election candidates.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With the Wingecarribee Shire Council election to be held next year, Councillor Ian Scandrett has put forward a notice of motion to hold local government workshops for members of the public who would like to run as councillors.
The call for a local government workshop stems from a discussion at the last council meeting on September 25.
Wingecarribee Shire Councillors discussed the upcoming election, with Councillor Garry Turland stating he would like to see more females in council.
The statement follows a Southern Highland News article which highlighted a gender gap in the Wingecarribee Shire Council.
"[The Wingecarribee Shire Council election] will cost the community $375,000," he said.
"I would love to see a good variety of candidates, it's important."
Councillor Graham McLaughlin said he wanted to see younger people on council.
Cr Scandrett believes that an 'Introduction to Local Government and Council Candidate Workshop' facilitated by Local Government NSW will help bring a variety of candidates forward.
"Local Government NSW were offering various courses, he said
"And they have some development courses coming up for prospective candidates.
"There are a lot of people who are interested and probably need [this course]," he said.
"The reason why I'm [putting the motion forward] is because I want to encourage a complete new field.
"I want people to come in.
"If that means they take us all out, excellent. It's time to refresh and reset.
"We need to open the gates for women and younger people to stand without feeling as though it won't be a worthwhile exercise.
"It's time for change.
"I'm putting this up to encourage new people to run, to come a long and find out about how it all works.
"I am happy to talk to prospective candidates about how it all works - the ups and the downs.
"We need fresh ideas, fresh thinking, fresh representation."
The workshop that will be put forward by Cr Scandrett is designed to provide prospective councillors with the information they will need to make a considered decision to run for council.
Content in the workshop will include understanding the role of council and the role of a councillor, the importance of diverse representation, a typical council structure, importance of speaking out on key issues and the challenges associated with role and how to meet them.
Participants at the end of the workshop will be able to understand and identify the key requirements for becoming a councillor and address key expectations and challenges.
The notice of motion will be discussed that the council meeting on October 9.
Read Also: What's coming up in council this week