Cr Sharkey elected mayor at special meeting

COUNCILLOR Owen Sharkey was elected mayor of the Golden Plains Shire at a special meeting on Tuesday 20 May at 8.30am.

Immediate past mayor Cr Sarah Hayden stood down from the leading role last week, but remains a councillor.

Cr Sharkey received four votes from councillors Des Phelan, Emma Robbins, and Sarah Hayden, and himself.

He said he would offer steady, constructive, consistent, reliable, calm and collaborative leadership as the municipality seeks to recruit a new CEO, deliver a budget, ratings strategy and council plan.

He also acknowledged Cr Hayden and her experience.

“It is an absolute pleasure and deep privilege to be appointed mayor of Golden Plains Shire, but I must be honest, under the current circumstances, it doesn’t feel quite right,” he said.

“Cr Hayden, your time as mayor was brief but it is already clear that the role and the enormous responsibility it carries was made substantially harder than it ever should have been.

“On behalf of my fellow councillors and many, many residents across our beautiful shire, I am sorry.

“I’m sorry for the way you were treated by some of your fellow councillors, I’m sorry for the lack of support you received and I’m deeply sorry for the way local media outlets and local social media pages villainised you; a fact so disturbing it was publically acknowledged by the state Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins.

“Sarah, thank you for your care and passion for our community, traits you were strongly elected upon. You deserved better.

“Councillors, unlike some of the voices we see, we do not hide behind anonymous usernames, we front up, we engage and we respond. We have a responsibility to challenge eachother through respectful debate and that is how good decisions are made for our communities.

“The growing trend of faceless residents posting abuse, lies, misogynistic commentary and defamatory statements online is deeply damaging, not only to individuals but to the health of our democracy.

“This behaviour must be called out, not just by councillors but by the broader community. We must all say, enough is enough. It is possible and necessary to hold public figures accountable without dehumanising them.

“To our community, we are here to listen, to serve, and to work with you, but that must be grounded in respect.

“Councillors, we have a great deal ahead of us. We must rebuild trust, model integrity and bring our focus back to the work that matters most and the reasons we were elected upon; delivering for the people of Golden Plains.

“I look forward to working with our exceptionally talented staff, and fellow councillors, to move forward together.”

Councillors Helena Kirby (acting mayor in recent weeks) and Gavin Gamble also nominated for mayor. They each received one vote.

Cr Kirby said she would bring good governance, transparency, public consultation and respect to the table as mayor, and aim to bring out the best in the CEO and municipal staff.

Cr Gamble pledged to work hard, be open, positive, and do the best for residents of the shire, the organisation and fellow councillors.