Celebrating Women In Local Government In 2010
To celebrate the 2010 Year of Women in Local Government, women from across the Northern Territory came together for an evening function to promote the achievements of women in local government and to look at ways to encourage more women to become involved in the local government sector.
The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory organised the function with support from the Australian Local Government Women’s Association NT, the Northern Territory Department for Housing, Local Government and Regional Services and the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
The function took place on Tuesday 23 November at the Chifley Alice Springs Resort, Alice Springs with approximately 50 female elected members, local board members and female local government council employees from across the Northern Territory attending.
In the Northern Territory, women make up 35% of local government elected members and 30% of Indigenous elected members in shire councils. The national average for female elected members is 29% so it is encouraging to see we are doing better in the Northern Territory than the average representation for women throughout Australia.
Guest speakers for the function included a ‘Welcome to Country’ by Betty Pearce of the Ahere Lhere Aboriginal Corporation, Fran Kilgariff, Senior Executive Director Local Government, Regional and Community Services, Veronica Birrell, Northern Territory Aboriginal Interpreter Service, Sandra Cannon, CEO Victoria Daly Shire Council, Pam Robinson OAM, Manager Climate Change and Environment, Darwin City Council, Alderman Helen Galton, Australian Local Government Women’s Association, and Sergeant Rosanna DeSantis, Northern Territory Police Force.
The evening concluded with inspirational singer-songwriter, Leah Flanagan, who performed a number of songs from her new album, Nirvana Nights.
“The evening was about encouraging more women to become involved in local government as elected members, local board members or council employees” said LGANT President, Kerry Moir in a recent radio interview.
The evening function kicked off an exciting week for The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory who also held their CEO Forum, Mayor and Presidents Forum, General and Annual General Meetings in Alice Springs the same week.
Listen to the CAAMA Radio Interview
