Council & Business
30 August, 2024
Grace made vice-president
Maryborough councillor Grace La Vella has been appointed vice-president of the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) board, in what she describes as a win for rural and regional commu-nities.
A VLGA board member since July 2021, Cr La Vella was appointed to the vice-president role — the first rural councillor to hold the position — for a period of three years.
The VLGA board sets long-term strategy and policy for the independent organisation, which is committed to supporting councils and councillors in good governance.
Cr La Vella said while the appointment was personally heartening, it was also positive for those across the regions.
“It’s really heartening to know the confidence within the board itself to put me into that position,” she said.
“It’s not about me though, it’s about being in a position to be able to represent our regional and rural communities.
“Having been on the VLGA in the past I always felt the focus was more city centric and now we’re starting to get the focus out into the regions in Victoria.
“It’s really good we’ve got representation on the Municipal Association of Victoria with Pyrenees Shire councillor David Clark and now myself with the VLGA — this is a really strong outcome for our community.”
Central Goldfields Shire Interim CEO Emma Little congratulated Cr La Vella on her appointment.
“The VLGA is a peak body for local government, and Cr La Vella is the first VLGA vice-president from a rural council,” she said.
“This is a terrific achievement for a councillor in Central Goldfields Shire, and a leap forward in the representation of country Victoria as a whole.
“The role of the VLGA is to inform and influence policymakers and stakeholders to determine the priorities for the local government sector.
“Having Cr La Vella in such a role where she can advocate for rural councils is a great outcome.”