Leeton Shire Council has appointed ten community members, alongside three councillors and two staff, to its newly established Financial Sustainability Advisory Committee (FSAC).
The FSAC was created following Professor Drew's independent Financial Sustainability Report tabled in August 2025, which found that while Council is not facing immediate liquidity concerns, it is not financially sustainable in the long term. The Committee will provide structured advice to help guide Council in strengthening revenue streams, managing expenditure, and ensuring future financial resilience.
Council had originally intended to appoint five community members, however, due to the extensive skills, experience and community commitment displayed across the nominations, it has been recommended and endorsed that all ten local nominees be appointed. The Terms of Reference will be updated to reflect this change.
The appointed community members are:
- Mrs Gillian Louise Kirkup
- Mr Joemel Amados
- Mr Dale Arthur
- Mrs Carmel Cristofaro
- Mr Nalinesh Chand
- Mr Patrick William Ferrier
- Mr Michael Pettit
- Mr Adam Mitchell
- Mr Adrian Laurence Steele
- Ms Ashleigh Webster
They will join Mayor Cr George Weston, Deputy Mayor Cr Michael Kidd, and Cr Stephen Tynan on the FSAC, with Cr Tracey Morris serving as alternate. Two Council staff members will also participate, one indoor and one outdoor.
The first FSAC meeting will be held on Saturday 11 October 2025 to coincide with a visit to Leeton by Committee Chair Professor Joseph Drew, with meetings to continue online thereafter.
Mayor Weston welcomed the strong community response, stating, "On behalf of Council, I sincerely thank every community member who put their hand up to serve. The calibre and diversity of applicants was outstanding, which is why we felt it was important to appoint all ten rather than just five. This level of community engagement gives me confidence that together we can chart a sustainable financial path for Leeton Shire."
Professor Drew said he was looking forward to working closely with the Committee.
"I am humbled by the faith that the community has placed in me to Chair this important advisory body. We have a great diversity of perspectives and skills in the FSAC and I am thus optimistic about our potential to think through all plausible scenarios for improving matters at Leeton. I promise to do my utmost to guide deliberations in a balanced way with a view to getting the best possible outcomes for everyone at Leeton, including future generations," he said.
Leeton Shire Council will provide regular updates to the community following FSAC meetings to ensure transparency and keep residents informed of the Committee's work.
