Hume mayor Naim Kurt has been chosen as one of just 10 mayors to sit on the Local Government Mayoral Advisory Panel for 2024.
The state government recently announced the panel, which will comprise of mayors from urban, regional and rural communities.
The panel will meet with Local Government Minister Melissa Horne four times this year, and the first meeting was held on March 21.
Speaking to the announcement, councillor Kurt said he is honoured to be chosen for the panel, and thanked Ms Horne for the opportunity.
“The Interface Councils Group represents Melbourne’s outer suburbs, which are currently shouldering nearly 45 per cent of the state’s population growth,” he said.
“Hume is one of Victoria’s fastest growing areas and we deserve our fair share of state and federal support, which I will be advocating for.
“I’m grateful to have been chosen through a competitive process and to have a voice at the table… on governance and policy issues affecting the [local government] sector and growth council’s like ours.”
The panel changes every year and is set up to offer the minister advice on legislative, regulatory, strategic and policy issues that affect councils across Victoria.
This year’s panel is expected to focus its work on governance, representation and inclusion.
Ms Horne said the panel plays an important role, providing advice on local government matters and the needs of communities across Victoria.
“I look forward to chairing this panel and supporting the performance of the local government sector with the advice of these 10 mayors from urban, regional and rural communities,” she said.
