South Australia’s peak body for local government has elected its new president – City of Mitcham mayor Dr Heather Holmes-Ross.
Holmes-Ross – who currently sits on the LGA board of directors and chairs the Greater Adelaide Regional Organisation of Councils committee – will serve as LGASA president for a two-year term.
Having served as mayor of Mitcham since 2018, Holmes-Ross said she is excited to take on the added responsibility of representing South Australia’s local government sector, strengthening connections between the state’s 68 councils and advocating for the interests of SA communities.
“I’m honoured that my fellow councillors and mayors across the state have entrusted me with this important role for the next two years, to champion the issues that matter most to them and to be a voice for our sector,” Holmes-Ross said.
“LGA plays a critical role in helping strengthen the long-term financial, environmental and social sustainability of councils through advocacy, promotion and facilitation and my goal is to support LGA to be effective as possible in these endeavours,” she added.
“The LGA presidency is an opportunity to further assist councils to deliver real, lasting impact for all South Australians through representation in state and national conversations,” Holmes-Ross said.
She identified financial sustainability as one of the sector’s biggest challenges. “Councils are continuously innovating to find efficiencies and do more with less, and there are exciting opportunities for LGA to help facilitate widespread adoption of solutions across the sector while advocating for greater federal funding support.”
Local government minister Joe Szakac congratulated Holmes-Ross on her successful election, saying: “I look forward to continuing to work closely with the local government sector’s peak body under her stewardship. I greatly value the engagement and relationship I have with the sector, and their special place in attending the state cabinet every quarter.”
Outgoing LGA president Kimba mayor Dean Johnson reflected on some of the high points and achievements during his tenure. “Over the past two years, LGA has further strengthened our relationship with state and federal governments and successfully positioned ourselves and councils as trusted delivery partners,” he said. “So much great work has been done to foster council connections within our sector and I’m incredibly proud of where LGA is positioned heading into the future.”
The LGA presidency alternates between a regional and metropolitan representative every two years, with all South Australian councils casting their vote to determine who is elected to the position.
Holmes-Ross will formally succeed Johnson at the LGA’s annual general meeting on 22 November.
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