Five Mayors and Councillors from Australia and New Zealand have been newly elected to ICLEI Oceania’s Regional Executive Committee, an advisory group supporting local governments and sustainable development, including

• Aaron Hawkins - Mayor, Dunedin City Council

• Amanda Stone - Councillor, Yarra City Council, Victoria

• Ann Ferguson - Mayor, Mount Barker District Council, South Australia

• Anna Reynolds - Lord Mayor, City of Hobart, Tasmania

• Nuatali Nelmes - Lord Mayor, City of Newcastle 

The Committee will guide the strategic direction of ICLEI Oceania and support sustainable development and climate action of local governments across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific over the next three years. 

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. 

“We are very pleased to welcome such an inspiring group of Mayors and Councillors to ICLEI Oceania’s Regional Executive Committee, and sincerely thank the outgoing members for their contributions,” said ICLEI Oceania’s Regional Director, Steve Gawler. 

“Their leadership experience will help local councils accelerate climate action and respond to common challenges of development, especially in the context of pandemic recovery.”

The Committee will meet for the first time in August 2020, with one representative to be nominated to the ICLEI Global Executive Committee, and provide guidance on how cities globally should work together to tackle major environmental issues like climate change. 

ICLEI is the focal point for local government for all UNFCCC processes, and in Oceania, ICLEI supports local governments through international programs such as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, and CitiesWithNature.