NSW Country Mayors take funding concerns to Canberra

Published on 04 August 2025

Three men in suits and a woman standing in front of a painting

A delegation from the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) had an intensive series of meetings with Australian Government and Opposition representatives in Canberra last week, with a focus on improving awareness of the financial plight of rural, regional and remote Councils and the dire need to improve Federal Financial Assistance Grants to support sky-rocketing operating costs.

The CMA delegation included Chairman and Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman OAM, Deputy Chairman and Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick, plus Executive Board Member and Tamworth Regional Council Mayor Russell Webb.

They met with the Federal Minister for Local Government and Regional Development, the Hon Kristy McBain MP; two senior advisors for Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Murray Watt; Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Resources, the Hon. Jamie Chaffey MP; Riverina MP, the Hon Michael McCormack; Federal Nationals Leader the Hon. David Littleproud MP; and Shadow Federal Local Government Minister the Hon. Dr. Anne Webster.

“We appreciated a warm welcome from all who we met with in Canberra,” Mayor Firman said. "We do need to keeping educating in that direction. Rural, regional and remote Councils in NSW need more untied funding support for their general operating expenses – it’s that simple but appreciated to varying degrees by those who we met with. Of course, country mayors value a funding program like Roads to Recovery but project-based funding grants do not help councils to pay their bills.”

The trio representing NSW Country Mayors were not just lobbying in their interests in Parliament House, they were also in the corridors of power to support Mr. Chaffey. The immediate past Chairman of the CMA, now Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Resources and Member for the Federal Seat of Parkes gave his maiden speech to parliament and was delighted to have family, friends and former colleagues watching on.

“We are proud of our former Chairman. He did a great job with the CMA, so we know he will do a fantastic job for his huge electorate of Parkes and Australia,” Mayor Fitzpatrick said.

Caption: CMA Deputy Chairman and Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick, Federal Minister for Local Government and Regional Development, the Hon Kristy McBain MP, CMA Executive Board Member and Tamworth Regional Council Mayor Russell Webb and CMA Chairman and Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman OAM in Parliament House, Canberra.

Contacts: Mayor Rick Firman OAM, CMA Chairman: 0429 204 060
Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick, Deputy Chairman: 0400 956 388
Mr Gary Fry, CMA Secretariat, Mobile: 0427 008 572
Email: admin@nswcountrymayors.com.au