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Our Council
GOVERNANCE
Lake Macquarie City Council has 13 elected Councillors including the Mayor, who is popularly elected. The City is divided into three wards, North, East and West. Each ward is represented by four Councillors. Our Mayor and Councillors have held office since 19 September 2016. Council elections are normally held every four years. All local government elections across NSW were postponed to 2021 in response to COVID-19.
WORKFORCE
We employ more than 1100 people who work across diverse professional fields to deliver the breadth and quality of services we offer our community. Our employees work under the guidance of a clear set of organisational values: shaping our future, leading at all levels and working together.
SERVICE DELIVERY
We operate under a customer charter that sets out our commitment to our community and the service they can expect from their Council. Flowing from this commitment is a set of service standards that establishes timeframes for delivery of a range of services, along with response times in relation to customer requests.
RECOGNITION
We are an award-winning organisation that has been recognised for excellence across many areas of our operations including financial and asset management, risk management, and for innovative approaches to improving the natural and built environment.
FACILITIES
Council delivers services throughout the City. Our City Administration Building in Speers Point includes our Customer Service Centre and the Council Chamber, where formal meetings of our elected Council are held. Other key facilities for our operations include our Works Depot in Boolaroo, Lake Mac Libraries, Lake Mac Swim Centres, Museum of Art and Culture (MAC), Warners Bay Theatre, The Swansea Centre, Awaba Waste Management Facility and Lake Macquarie Landcare in Teralba. In addition to Council’s own operating facilities, we provide a wealth of facilities for the community.
KEY PARTNERS
We foster partnerships wherever we can with organisations in our region and beyond, where we can see it delivering benefits for our community. Recent partnership agreements with Hunter Water and the University of Newcastle, highlight Council’s commitment to an integrated approach to doing business. Our key community partners include Lake Macquarie Landcare, Sustainable Neighbourhood Groups and local community and sporting groups and operating committees who manage our facilities. We also partner with Dantia, the City’s independent economic development company. Dantia manages Dashworks Makespace, a business innovation accelerator at Warners Bay, as well as Dashworks Workspace, a coworking space at Charlestown, home to 120 members from over 75 businesses of all sizes and industries. Council is an active member of the Hunter Joint Organisation and is a Hunter First member of the Hunter Business Chamber, which enables Council to share ideas, hear from government leaders and industry experts, and advocate for common goals with others from across the Hunter region. Council is also a member of the Committee for the Hunter, which provides a platform for a united voice and collaborative action to move our region forward. Other key partners include the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale and The Place in Charlestown.