Council
12 September, 2026
Council to consider women’s advisory committee
Goulburn-Mulwaree Council will consider establishing a women’s advisory committee when it meets on Tuesday night (September 26).
Goulburn-Mulwaree Council will consider establishing a women’s advisory committee when it meets on Tuesday night (September 26).
Cr Liz McKeon has submitted a Notice of Motion that council establish a new committee “to provide a platform for women in the Goulburn-Mulwaree LGA to voice their concerns, experiences and recommendations regarding issues that affect them”.
The committee would meet quarterly and would provide recommendations and feedback on policies and initiatives that promote gender equity.
It would also address critical issues such as domestic violence, access to health services, economic empowerment, education and community safety.
The committee would have 12 members – including two councillors – and would be open to women from all backgrounds to ensure “inclusivity and representation of different demographics within the community”.
Cr McKeon said women in Goulburn-Mulwaree encountered challenges that impact on their health, safety and overall well-being.
She said recent trends relating to domestic violence and accessibility to health highlighted the urgent need for intervention.
She said council needed to be more proactive in ensuring the safety, health and welfare of its female residents and elected representatives had a pivotal role to play in advocating for the vulnerable, including women.
Two people spoke in favour of the motion at Tuesday night’s public forum.
Rebecca Adams said she had been working in the women’s sector and human services sector for the past 25 years.
She said she had noticed a “significant gap in women’s representation” on council and in the general community since moving to Goulburn two-and-a-half years ago.
She described Goulburn as an “empowered and invigorated community” but said there was a need to build a “solid and strategic vision” for the region’s women.
“I really want us to strengthen the way we do things,” she said.
Mrs Adams said an advisory committee would help provide a coordinated response to the experiences that happen to women.
She said it would help ensure women’s voices in the LGA were actively represented with a strategic approach moving forward.
Anna Kerdijk Nicholson from Bungonia said there was a need in the Goulburn region for a forum for women to raise ‘discrete’ issues including domestic violence and the safe departure from abusive relationships, childcare, education and schooling, childbirth and midwifery, cross-generational care and isolation and support for female caregivers. “The list could and will go on,” she said.
She said the advisory committee would draw together service providers, advocates, community voices and problem solvers.
Mrs Kerdijk Nicholson said Goulburn-Mulwaree was a large region with broadly spread rural populations.
“I support Goulburn having a place where these voices can feel safe, be heard, can resource solutions for the problems arising and create a strongly linked female community,” she said.
“I support it wholeheartedly.”
Tuesday night’s meeting will commence at 6pm in the Council Chambers in Bourke Street.
Members of the public are welcome to attend.
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