Mayoral Minute - June 2025
Published on 03 July 2025
Last week the CEO and I were in Canberra at the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) National General Assembly (NGA).
We started the week with our Cross-Border delegates from the Northern Territory visiting Defence HQ to see Major General Jason Walk to discuss the strategic benefits of the Tennant Creek to Mount Isa railway line.
More than 1300 local government leaders from across Australia gathered in Canberra from June 24-27 for the 31st National General Assembly of Local Government.
Her Excellency the Honourable Miss Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, formally opened the Assembly and spoke about the role of community leadership and local engagement in building national resilience and unity, including the importance of teaching our younger generation the importance of civic governance and getting involved in your community and volunteering.
We heard from a range of Federal ministers across the Assembly, including Kristy McBain MP, Senator Katy Gallagher, Julian Hill MP, Josh Wilson MP, Darren Chester MP, Doctor Anne Webster MP, and Kevin Hogan MP.
There was broad acknowledgement from minsters that councils play a critical role in supporting their communities, and that the role has expanded significantly, as has the financial pressures that councils face. This is why Local Government is calling for urgent action to ensure financial sustainability of councils.
Delegates heard from Mark Bouris AM and Dr Merridin Varrall, who unpacked global economic forces shaping Australia’s local economies, including trends in trade, security, and investment.
Jason Clarke – a world-leading consultant on issues of leadership and innovation – closed day one of the NGA with an energising and practical presentation on how councils can take bold ideas and translate them into tangible community-focused change.
Day two of the NGA featured the launch of ALGA’s exciting new research, Adapting Together: Local Government Leadership in a Changing Climate.
The report finds that Australia’s councils are expected to spend more than $2 billion over the next five years to future-proof their communities from the changing climate, resulting in up to $4.7 billion in avoided cost to communities.
ALGA President Matt Burnett noted climate resilient infrastructure is expensive and takes time to build, so we need sustainable funding from the Federal Government to implement long-term planning and adaption now and into the future.
That is why we’re asking the government for a new $400 million Climate Adaption Fund, distributed to all Australian councils each year, to deliver ongoing and sustainable climate-based solutions.
Councils considered the way AI is shaping the future, with presentations from Stephen Scheeler – the founder of The Digital CEO and co-founder and CEO of Omniscient Neurotechnology – and Tim Golsby-Smith, the founder and CEO of MyLot.ai.
There was also a presentation on Snap Send Solve, and I was sure to take plenty of notes on integration, providing timely feedback, and the types of data that can be extracted and how this influences priorities within the budget.
The 2025 NGA saw the return of concurrent listening sessions, which provided an interactive platform for delegates to engage directly with federal agencies and sector experts on key policy issues, including housing, community infrastructure, emergency management capacity and capability, local government jobs and skills, and safer roads.
Almost 190 motions were debated across a range of policy areas, including financial sustainability, roads, disaster resilience, health, housing, and climate.
Motions passed by the NGA will be referred to relevant ministers for response, and also used by the ALGA board to inform national policy positions.
Last week, while I was away, unfortunately I missed the first CUC Mount Isa graduation – a great example of how Council can initiate community benefit within our city. The funding was sought by Council, handed to an external board to pursue, and it’s not costing Council anything. I’d like to congratulate all of the graduates last week.
I’d also like to welcome all the new teachers to town, who have been granted permission to teach and have been engaged by Education Queensland.
Our relationship with QUT is continuing through CUC and is providing immense benefit to our community, by assisting to provide service gaps.
On a more local note, I’d like to congratulate the Mount Isa Show Committee on a fantastic event, and the Great Northern Rodeo for that event held as part of the Mount Isa Show.
I’d also like to encourage everyone to get out to the Mount Isa Campdraft this weekend and support that. It’s always a really popular event that brings lots of visitors into town.
I’d like to remind everyone that it’s 35 days until the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, which means 28 days until the Rodeo Ball, which is being hosted by Zonta this year.
Tickets went on sale on Monday, and it’s my understanding is that three-quarters are already sold, so if you want to get a ticket, you might need to jump on ASAP.