New deputy mayor of the City of Gosnells Serena Williamson is no stranger to the goings on in the local community having spent her life in the City of Gosnells.
In only her second term, the young mum and qualified accountant was thrilled to be voted in last week to take the helm in one of the city’s leading roles.
“I was first elected in 2017 and have had two terms and I was the first councillor to have a child while a sitting councillor. I was pregnant during my first term,” councillor Williamson said.
“We have some amazing councillors who have other duties as well as council.
“My aim is to shine a light on what councillors do for the whole community.
“I grew up in Maddington and spent my whole life there, so I know what issues everyday people in our local area face.”
As well as tackling the challenges of a senior role on council, Ms Williamson wears another senior hat to encourage more women to take the lead in the local government arena.
“I am also President of the Australian Local Government Association WA branch and we advocate for elected members to support their roles and encourage more women to step up in council roles and do a lot of advocacy the Minister for Local Government,” she said.
“It’s an exciting role to take on and to step up and provide extra support for the council and fellow councillors.”
A big part of the role of Deputy Mayor is to support the Mayor in representing the city, something councillor Williamson said is the glue that binds council and the community together.
“It’s about keeping the council working together so we are able to connect with the community and promote the other councillors as well,” she said.
“Our major project we are focussing on at the moment is Sutherlands Park and lobbying and advocating for Splash our new aquatic centre.
“We are also focussed on sustainability and one of the committees is the south east regional energy group so that is a partnership between City of Gosnells, Armadale and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
“We have recently secured a grant from the state government to help people reduce living costs and decrease energy use.”
Ms Williamson said she isn’t afraid of hard work is looking forward to getting down to business on a grass roots level.
“My aim is getting the best results for the community and having a down to earth voice on the council, someone who can relate to cost-of-living struggles,” she said.
“I spend most of my days in the city and it’s about having that close community connection.”
