Resignation of Margaret Strelow

Published on 10 November 2020

Councillors have today paid tribute to former mayor Margaret Strelow who resigned from the position late yesterday afternoon.

Acting Mayor Neil Fisher said the announcement had come as a shock.

“There are a lot of people in the community and in Council who have been taken aback by her announcement and I want to say to them that we understand that feeling,” Acting Mayor Fisher said.

“Margaret was a fierce advocate for the region and I’d like to pay tribute to her tireless work and dedication during her stewardship of our community.

“Margaret was many things to Councillors during her tenure as Mayor. She was a mentor to us when making tough decisions and a calm voice of reason during disasters when our region needed leadership.

“There was a side to Margaret where you could see how deeply she cared not just about the region but the people in it. It was not something you’d see in the media but she did.

“Her years of experience at the table puts us in good stead and Councillors are committed to continue working together as a strong team,” Acting Mayor Fisher said.

CEO Evan Pardon said Council business would continue as normal while the process for electing a new Mayor was worked through.

“We welcome the clarity provided by Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe today as we move through the process to fill the Office of the Mayor,” Mr Pardon said.

“In the interim, we will continue with the day to day business and will provide more information when it’s available. This is obviously a new situation so it will take time to work through the next steps but we will keep the community updated as we go along.”