The merger of the New South Wales Shires’ Association and Local Government Association of NSW is likely to go ahead following the election of Cr Ray Donald as President of the Shires Association at the annual Shires Association conference in Sydney earlier this week.

 

Cr Donald, Mayor of Bogan Shire, has announced his intention to ‘steer’ the two separate bodies into one single organisation.

 

"The conference has voted to do away with any desire for a divisional structure so we will now head towards one association with the LGA on an equal footing to have our representatives elected onto the ten member board of rural and regional New South Wales." Cr Donald said.

 

Eight new executives have been elected to the Shires Association at the conference.

 

The following Divisional representatives were then elected by the delegates:

A Division - Cr Janet Hayes, Kempsey Shire Council
B Division - Cr Adam Marshall, Gunnedah Shire Council
C Division - Cr Rex Wilson, Warren Shire Council
D Division - Cr Maria Woods, Walcha Council
E Division - Cr Phyllis Miller, Forbes Shire Council
F Division - Cr Lindsay Renwick, Deniliquin Council
G Division - Cr Paul Braybrooks OAM, Cootamundra Shire Council
H Division - Cr Chris Manchester, Harden Shire Council
J Division - Cr Ray Longfellow, Central Darling Shire Council

 

The Vice Presidents and Treasurer were elected from the Divisional representatives above, and the full list of Office Bearers of the Shires Association for the next two years is:

President: Cr Ray Donald, Bogan Shire Council
Treasurer: Cr Paul Braybrooks OAM, Cootamundra Shire Council
Vice President (Senior): Cr Adam Marshall, Gunnedah Shire Council
Vice President (Junior): Cr Janet Hayes, Kempsey Shire Council
Immediate Past President: Cr Bruce Miller, Cowra Shire Council

Cr Bruce Miller has been the President of the Shires Association of NSW for the past four years and was not eligible under the Shires rules to stand for re-election. He will remain on the Executive in the role of Immediate Past President for the next two years. Cr Miller will hand over the Presidential chains to Cr Donald at the conclusion of the 2011 Conference around 4pm today.

The returning officer for the Shires Association executive elections is the Australian Electoral Commission.