Supporting local councillors: learnings from post-election interviews in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

This article summarises information collected from interviews with outgoing and newly elected councillors before and after the elections in December 2021 and across four municipalities in Sydney, New South Wales. Councillors expressed the challenges and difficulties they faced during their term on council, and many were ill-prepared and needed more guidance. The aim was to harness the information to shape and direct the support that new councillors need in order to fulfil their roles. The article describes an approach in which various players within the council work in a collaborative way to support the decision-making role of the governing body, so that individual councillors are equipped to work on a common agenda with camaraderie and consensus to achieve strong and effective civic leadership.