New Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Hepburn Shire

Published on 15 November 2022

Councillors of Hepburn Shire have today elected Cr Brian Hood as Mayor and Cr Lesley Hewitt as Deputy Mayor for the year ahead.

Cr Hood thanked his fellow councillors for the opportunity to lead the Council for the next 12 months.

“It is an honour to take on this role and I am excited to represent the community of Hepburn Shire,” said Cr Hood.

Cr Hood was elected to the Coliban Ward in October 2020. An active community member, he is keen to see important projects completed, such as the Trentham Community Hub and Creswick Trails, and lead the Councillors to tackle a number of key challenges, including high inflation, rising construction costs and repairs to roads.

“As a Council we are focused on delivering important services for the community and infrastructure projects that serve the community’s long-term needs,” he said.

“We are also acutely aware of the importance of financial responsibility, particularly as we recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent major storm and flood events.

“I look forward to working alongside my fellow councillors and with staff to deliver projects and services, along with the commitments outlined in our four-year Council Plan, within our capacity.”

Cr Hood acknowledged the contribution of former Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie and former Deputy Mayor, Cr Jen Bray.

“Thank you to Cr Drylie and Cr Bray who worked hard representing the Shire over the past challenging 12 months.”

“Congratulations to Cr Hewitt on her election to the role of Deputy Mayor. I look forward to working closely with her,” he said.

Cr Lesley Hewitt was elected to represent the Birch Ward in October 2020. She was Mayor of Hepburn Shire from 2020 to 2021.