New advisory committees - 1 June 2023

Published on 01 June 2023

Mayor Neil Reilly

There is an old joke that a camel is a horse designed by a committee…probably not fair to either animal, or committees.

In the grand scheme of things, committees often get a bad rap. They're wrongly seen as slow-moving, self-centred and find it difficult to reach a decision. Let’s try to change this perspective.

We at council are forming two new committees, to be the hub of many others. Core members will be people who are able to manage a wide range of disciplines, have an open mind, are good with people, have a sense of priorities and who are not afraid to suggest a camel if necessary.

We are looking for two lots of three outstanding individuals to become the core of a new idea of committees.

The proposed committee structure shares some similarities with matrix management, as both involve the integration of individuals from different areas of expertise into teams. We’re currently recruiting for our core members, but we’ll also invite additional experts to join from time to time, in order to address specialist needs and promote community engagement.

We need people with boundless enthusiasm, capable of injecting our committees with a surge of energy, contagious excitement. We also need strategic thinkers; masterminds who can see the big picture, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks and connect the dots. In the midst of all this, we also need people who can bring a sense of calm and perspective to the table, soothing voices of reason.

All this will combine into two additional committees, which can pull in extra help when needed, to consider the vast diversity of work that our community expects and deserves. This work will encompass things like the creation of walking tracks, management of companion animals, ensuring we respectfully reference our First Nations people, caring for the environment and listening and acting on the ideas of the young and much more.

So, if you're ready to embark on this delightful committee adventure, where we work hard, enjoy harder, and form bonds that last a lifetime, then we want you!

Join us in creating committees that will shatter stereotypes and redefine the way we collaborate. Together, we'll write a story filled with teamwork, laughter, and maybe a camel or two. Submit your application today, and let's make these committees the stuff of legends!

More: New Council Committees

Lastly but not least two shout outs: one for our Deputy Mayor who wrote so eloquently in the last column about Volunteers, and secondly a farewell for Cathy Law, formerly of The Bugle. Anyone would be hard-pressed to do what she did, as well as she did and as efficiently as she did. We all owe her.