Long serving Brisbane councillor Margaret de Wit will succeed Central Highlands councillor Paul Bell as president of the Local Government Association of Queensland, becoming the first woman to lead an organisation over 100 years old.
Cr de Wit, who has represented the Pullenvale Ward since 1997, secured victory over Fraser Coast mayor Gerard O'Connell in a secret ballot and will assume the role at the conclusion of the LGAQ Annual Conference tomorrow, serving a four-year term.
In that time, the former Brisbane City Council infrastructure chairman will play a part in promoting LGAQ's agenda to the state and federal governments, and will likely draw on her past to promote changes to infrastructure charges, funding cuts and the loss of grants and subsidies.
“I am passionate about fighting for the needs of local government,” said Cr de Wit.
“Councils do it tough - they don't get a lot of recognition for the work that they do and there are many issues that need to be addressed, like funding cuts and the loss of grants and subsidies.
“We do realise that the state government has a big job to do in cutting debt but it's my job now to fight for the needs of councils and taking it to the Premier when he is looking at budgets.
Currently chairman of Lord Mayor Graham Quirk's LNP majority council, Cr de Wit said she had no qualms about political allegiances.
She has held senior portfolios in BCC, including leader of the opposition prior to the election of Campbell Newman as Mayor in 2004.
Now premier, Mr Newman welcomed her election, saying it would only strengthen the “new era of co-operation” that had dawned between the state and local governments.
“During my time as lord mayor, I was always impressed by her drive and dedication to her local community and to developing Brisbane as a new world city for the 21st century,” he said.
“Having served as the vice-president of the LGAQ, Cr de Wit's elevation to the top job is richly deserved and warmly welcomed.”
Cr de Wit described her working relationships with the Premier, Treasurer Tim Nicholls and Local Government Minister David Crisafulli as “very good”, but said she was still prepared to play hard-ball with George Street.
“I believe I can also work just as effectively with the federal minister and anyone else at that level,” she said.
LGAQ junior vice-president since 2008, Cr de Wit is also the first president to come from Brisbane in 91 years and she said one of her first priorities would be to develop a travel schedule to enable visits to as many councils in the regions as possible.
“It will be a busy travel schedule however I did give this undertaking a lot of consideration and I am well aware of the workload,” she said.
Outgoing LGAQ president Paul Bell said he supported Cr de Wit in her new role.
“Margaret has been a valued part of the leadership team for a number of years, and has played a substantial role in helping shape the work LGAQ does for our council members,” he said.
Cr Bell announced yesterday that would run for a two year term as president of the Australian
Local Government Association, where he would focus on the push for a referendum on the constitutional recognition of local government.
Cr de Wit said she was equally passionate about that cause.
“Constitutional recognition is vital for local government right across Australia,” she said.
“We need to maintain the status quo and ensure that councils can still receive funding directly from Canberra.”
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