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Penny was elected to Ryde council in 2017 and has worked hard for the community ever since, fighting for new infrastructure and more open spaces.
Penny initiated Ryde's first Reconciliation Action Plan; child minding services; The Ryde March Against Abuse; Battle of the bands; Riverside markets; EV charging; the ban on single use plastic by council, widespread street tree planting and along with the Ryde Council Labor team over saw the plans for a new civic building; delivered regional playgrounds; a multilevel carpark; protected heritage precincts and endangered forest among many other projects.
Penny is a creative with a background in Theatre, Television, radio, production and governance (Board director at the Griffin Theatre company) She is a long time Climate activist, conservationist; Climate council's Cities Power Partnership local leader and NSW organiser of LEAN. Her passion for clean waterways led to 4 years as vice chair of the Parramatta River catchment group, collaborating with several government agencies and 10 other councils to deliver a masterplan to make the river swimmable again by 2025. This includes the impending launch of the swim site's at Putney and Hunters Hill.
Penny currently represents local government in NSW as a metropolitan director of local Government NSW; has represented Northern regional councils as Vice president of NSROC and as an alternate delegate to the Northern Sydney Planning Panel.
She has been a board director and has volunteered for over a decade as an arts/music presenter, at Northside radio 99.3FM and is a local government delegate to the NSW Music festival roundtable.
She also sits on the Ryde Hunters Hill domestic and family violence committee and the governance research reference group for Side by Side disability advocacy .
Penny loves Kayaking, bushwalking and volunteers as a certified wildlife rescuer in Sydney's Northern Suburbs.
Member of ALGWA NSW over 20 years
I am an experienced Councillor, first elected in 1999, 25 years, serving local
Government in INVERELL SHIRE COUNCIL, a rural council.
Experience - NSW State I have served as: NSW Public Library Vice-President, Regional Development Board member, Joint Regional Planning Panel Member, Country Vice-President ALGWA NSW, President ALGWA NSW, Justice of the Peace
Experience - Locally I have served as: Deputy Mayor, Chair of Civil and Environmental Services Committee, Chair of Corporate and Economic Committee, Delegate to the Inverell Library Service and Equestrian Council
Education - most recently, Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Hons), from UNE Armidale, graduated 2014
Awards - received; Bi-Centenary Medal for services to culture and local government and a life membership to NSW Public Libraries and Equestrian Council.
I enthusiastically support women in Local Government. I bring my experience, knowledge, skills, and contacts to benefit us all.
First elected to Council in 2008 Councillor Griffiths is now serving her third term. She has been elected Deputy Mayor on 3 occasions. She has served on Blacktown City’s Community Services Committee, Aboriginal Advisory Committee, Youth Advisory Committee, Sister Cities Committee, Animal Advisory Committee, Planning, Development, Historical & Assets Committee and Chair of the Women’s Advisory Committee. She currently sits on the Hawkesbury River County Council, LGNSW Board, BVM Board, Rural Fire Co-ordination Committee, Rural Fire Liaison Committee and Local Government NSW Rural Fire Service Committee.
Councillor Griffiths was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List for her significant service to local government, to women's football, and to industrial relations.
Councillor Griffiths is an Electorate Officer, for the new State Member for Penrith. Previously working for the Minister for Communications – Hon Michelle Rowland. For the past 23 years, Councillor Griffiths has been an active member of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) NSW Branch, including president (2010–2012) and City Vice President (current). As a member of the NSW Joint Ministerial Advisory Council, Councillor Griffiths worked the Minister for Local Government to increase the number of roles for women in local government.
She has fulfilled various roles with Children Services and Health Industry Training and Advisory Body, Local Government Child Care Task Force, the Review of Children’s Services Regulations 2004. She has also been Chair for Coalition for Women, National Women’s Consultative Committee and the Women in Sports board.
Appointed Chief De Mission and Australian Coach of the Futsal U/21 Women’s Indoor Soccer Team to tour Spain, Councillor Griffiths has been an elite coach for Nepean and Blacktown Spartans U/21 Women. At a local level she has coached Quakers Hill boys’ and women’s teams and the Glenwood Redbacks.
Councillor Griffiths is committed to fostering Blacktown City’s infrastructure and providing good quality child care, recreational and sporting facilities. She is also passionate about ensuring quality aged care and further developing services for our youth through TAFE and skills development.
I was elected to the inaugural Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) in September 2017 and re-elected in December 2022. At that time, I was also elected as Deputy Mayor, a position which I still hold.
My resolve to stand as an elected representative for Local Government was confirmed by listening to two ALGWA members, Judith Hannan, at that time Mayor of Wollondilly, and Marianne Saliba, then Mayor of Shell Harbour, at an ALGWA Pre-election Forum held at Gundagai early in 2017. I became a member of ALGWA NSW shortly after.
I was a guest speaker at the ALGWA NSW Conference, held in Gundagai, in March 2018. My talk was called, “Feminism, Social Justice, A Tree Change and Local Government: A Reflection.” In it I outlined my journey to feminism and my commitment to social justice. I was also able to analyse and comment on my short experience in Local Government; a place dominated, in my region, by old white men, to whom women were largely invisible and certainly not worth listening to. Out of 9 councillors only two of us were women. It was hard.
I made up part of the ALGWA NSW team that campaigned throughout the state prior to the last election encouraging women to stand for election. As a result of our work the percentage of women elected in NSW rose from 29% to 39.5%. An improvement but still nor parity. On CGRC, again only two women were elected.
Unfortunately, research has shown, that many women who are elected do not stand again for a second term. It is hard operating in a man’s domain. The role of ALGWA is to support women, both elected representatives and staff, to operate to their full potential in serving our communities. This involves awareness raising for both men and women about the blocks which women in local government face. This is particularly so for regional areas. It is about embracing equity, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day.
I hold a master’s degree in Women’s Studies and post graduate qualifications in Indigenous Studies. I am committed to bringing about positive change in all the areas I live and work. An improvement in women’s place in local government will bring about a positive change for everybody.
I am Married to Richard White. I am the mother of four and the grandmother of six.
Dr Diane Colman is a well-respected academic from Western Sydney University. She is an integral part of the university’s course leadership team, providing expert direction and advice on governance, strategy, risk management, financial discipline and digital innovation.
Diane has considerable experience in strategic planning, program implementation, management of multi-million-dollar budgets and legislative compliance as well as ensuring the well-being of staff across the organisation.
As well as effective corporate skills and experience, Diane has strong linkages within her local community, campaigning on numerous issues relating to the health and well-being of residents.
Diane was elected to Cumberland City Council in 2021 and has been a strong advocate for policy and programs that provide the conditions for success of local women. She has championed strategies to improve women’s well being and to make women’s achievements more visible.
With her strong understanding of business, the local community and the political environment, Diane will be a strong voice for women in local government in NSW.
Cassandra Coleman was born and raised in Lithgow and works locally at Revenue NSW.
Cassandra was first elected to Lithgow City Council in 2016 and then again in December 2021, Cassandra was elected by the majority of her fellow Councillors as the Deputy Mayor in 2021.
Cassandra started advocating for Women their right to have a voice in 2008, when she was formally elected to the Public Service Association (PSA) Women’s Council which has a proud history of fighting for better conditions for not only women but for all.
Cassandra has held several positions with the PSA including Senior Vice President.
Cassandra was President of ALGWA NSW for three years, and under her leadership the ALGWA NSW Executive team of volunteers, criss-crossed the State of NSW for a period of 18 months conducting over 30 forums, sometimes presenting simultaneously in three different locations.
This helped create history with a record number of women elected to NSW local councils in December 2021 – an increase from 29% to 40%.
Cassandra was re-elected onto the board in 2022 taking on the role of Assistant Treasurer and then re-elected to the role of Treasurer in 2023.
Kate is a regional Mayor and Councillor for Inverell Shire Council and has worked tirelessly for her LGA. She has completed 2 full terms on Council and is now well into her 3rd term, having been elected Mayor Sept ‘24.
Uniquely, Kate is from an outer village of the Shire and has an intricate understanding of issues at a grass-roots level. She is accustomed to travelling regularly and having lived in Sydney, she has great access to our capital and is very familiar interacting at the regional, state and national level.
Originally she gained a Bachelor Degree of Economics from UQ and then went on to complete a Graduate Diploma in Education. She is currently employed by the Dept of Education as a primary teacher giving her particular insight into the youth of our communities. She has a proactive approach and works to resolve issues for wider benefit.
She has led the charge on a number of organisations, particularly the Border Region of Councils (BROC) and the Inverell Youth Advisory Council (IYAC).
She has been an executive member the Audit Risk & Improvement Committee, the Inverell Health Forum and the Library. Most recently, she has been on the ALGWA Executive and welcomed the opportunity to represent her community for this organisation. Always with a local lens, she has prioritised –
• Working with State & Federal Government representatives• Unifying and empowering Inverell Shire Council Elected members• Local Medical Services• Community Agency services• Primary producers & industry• Regional & Local Road Network• Financial sustainability• Local economic opportunity
She is very fortunate to have been guided and supported by strong fellow female councillors and recognises this opportunity to take this further with ALGWA NSW. She has advocated strongly for ALGWA NSW at the local level because it gives the opportunity to engage young female professionals with LG and encourages them to represent their own communities with confidence, creativity and strength.
Elected to Orange City Council in 2021, and ALGWA Executive in 2024.
Cr McDonell grew up in Orange, completing school here before moving away for university study.
She has a Bachelor of Nursing from Charles Sturt University, and Graduate Certificate in Nursing specialising in Gastroenterology from Queensland University of Technology.
Cr McDonell has worked in a variety of healthcare settings in Sydney and Orange, and what she loves most about being a nurse is advocating for her patients. Her experience as a Delegate for the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association further developed her advocacy skills.
Melanie completed the inaugural NSW Pathways to Politics for Women program through UNSW in 2021.
Cr McDonell Chairs the Parks, Trees and Waterways Community Committee and Services Policy Committee. She is an active member of the Lucknow Community Committee, Environmental Sustainability Community Committee, Orange Health Liaison Committee, Ageing and Access Community Committee, City of Orange Traffic Committee, Bicycle Committee, Conservatorium and Planetarium Committee, Orange Showground Community Committee, and Sport and Recreation Community Committee. Cr McDonell is the Orange City Council representative to the Orange Regional Arts Foundation (ORAF).
An independent mother of one, Cr McDonell has led the push for improved play spaces in her community, including installation of shade sails over existing facilities, and increased footpath infrastructure.
Melanie is a passionate advocate for gender equality including establishing DAPO (Domestic Abuse Prevention Orange), a community-driven project group established to address the prevention and education needs of her community, which has one of the State’s highest rates of family and domestic violence.
Outside of her Councillor role, Melanie facilitates workshops providing women and non-binary individuals with the knowledge and skills to get elected at any level of government across Australia.
In her spare time, Melanie composes music and is a Bassoonist with the Orange Symphony Orchestra.
Melanie believes deeply in the aim of ALGWA, to increase participation and representation of women in local government.
1995—Current, Mayor 2008—present
Shires Association of NSW
Current Divisional Representative for the Association’s E Division of Councils.
14 year affiliation, including executive positions held: Vice President, President and Immediate Past President.
First woman to be elected President of the Association in its 100-year history.
Central West Regional Organisation of Councils—Chair
2010—Present, 1998—2000
Murray Darling Basin Community Advisory Committee Board Member
2004 - 2008
Inaugural Chair
PASSIONATE, EXPERIENCED & DRIVEN
Cr Miller has been a passionate advocate for women in local government since she was elected to Forbes Shire Council in 1995.
In the twenty-eight years that have followed, Cr Miller has continued to use her voice to affect change through extensive Board experience and leadership.
Shannon Welch, a dedicated individual with a rich history of service and advocacy, trained as a nurse in Vancouver, Canada, before relocating to Australia in 1994. Over 18 years at Manly Hospital's ICU, Shannon demonstrated unwavering commitment to patient care and safety, advocating for healthcare workers' rights as a Union Delegate. She helped lead the NSWNMA Campaign to keep the Northern Beaches Hospital a public hospital.
In retirement from nursing, Shannon continued her activism, leading campaigns for public infrastructure improvement. Notably, she spearheaded a public campaign and successfully secured a $2.1 million grant for the refurbishment of Primrose Park Tennis Courts.
Her dedication to public service led to her election as a Labor Councillor in North Sydney in December 2021, where she chairs the Sustainable Transport Reference Group and advocates for environmentally conscious policies. Additionally, Shannon is the Chair the Sydney Coastal Council Group and Chairs the Committee for the Shorelink Library Network. She retired from the Board of the Crow’s Nest Community Centre this year. Shannon has advocated for 50% women for Council staffing with an emphasis on gender equity in senior roles. Her motion to honour North Sydney Women of significance will see a piece of art commissioned and unveiled on International Women’s Day on an annual basis.
Throughout her journey, Shannon Welch has demonstrated exemplary leadership, compassion, and dedication, leaving an indelible mark on healthcare, community development, and advocacy.
Cr. Hamed is a long-term resident of Cumberland, proudly raising her two children alongside her husband in Merrylands.
She has actively participated in numerous community organisations, providing support to families and children.
Driven by a strong passion for social justice and equality, Cr. Hamed is dedicated to working with the community to create positive change.
Christie Hamilton was first elected to Randwick City Council in 2017, and as a long-term local resident, brings a strong background in service, leadership, and community advocacy to local government.
Christie served in the Royal Australian Navy before building more than 15 years’ experience in Learning and Organisational Development, working across education, training, and workforce capability. Her professional background has shaped a practical, outcomes-focused approach to leadership and governance.
As a councillor, Christie is a member of Randwick City Council’s Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) and serves on the General Manager’s Annual Performance Review Panel. She is a strong advocate for open space, community facilities, transparency, and responsible financial management, and is committed to working collaboratively to deliver meaningful outcomes for residents and strengthen trust in local government.
