The newly elected Councillors of Blue Mountains City Council took an Oath (or Affirmation) of Office this week following the 2024 Local Government Election.
Councillor Mark Greenhill was elected Mayor for a 12th year, at the Extraordinary Council Meeting held at Council’s Katoomba headquarters.
Councillor Romola Hollywood was elected Deputy Mayor, and Councillors Daniel Myles and Suzie van Opdorp were elected Alternate Deputy Mayors.
Three new Councillors join the Council, Suzanne Jamieson in Ward 1, Darren Rodrigo in Ward 3 and Margaret Buckham in Ward 4. Councillors Claire West, Nyree Fisher, Sarah Redshaw, Brent Hoare and Mick Fell, have also returned to serve another term.
Greenhill said: “It’s an enormous honour to be elected Mayor. Tonight is a significant night for me personally. It is my twelfth year as Mayor. Being on Council has been a huge part of my life. And my passion hasn’t dimmed.
“I congratulate each and every Councillor who has been elected. I would like to welcome the new councillors, who bring a fresh energy to the Council. I am also proud that we have seven women of 12 on our Council.
“But we all know it’s not about us, it’s about the community who elected us. We will do our best to guide the city. Each of the councillors took a series of promises to the elections, and we have a lot of work to do.
“We run a complex City – 27 towns and villages spread across more than 100km of mountainous terrain. We are periodically threatened by bushfires, and we are seeing the effects of climate change right now.
“We will focus on the issues that are important to our community, including continuing to fix roads and infrastructure, protecting our environment, and making our city fit for a changing climate.”
Blue Mountains City Council CEO Dr Rosemary Dillon congratulated the Councillors on their new term and the Mayor for his 12th year in the position, and more than 20 years of service to the Council.
Troy has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.