Cr Gillingham, from the Avoca Ward, was elected to the position during an unscheduled meeting of council, held remotely via Zoom on Monday.
First elected to council in 2016, Cr Gillingham is now the sixth councillor to hold the position of mayor for at least three terms, following on from Don Harris, Lui Basile, Keith den Houting, Neville Goulding and Lorraine Learmonth.
“We are now halfway through our four-year term, which has seen the councillors develop over this time, growing their knowledge about their roles as elected representatives, particularly around establishing and making strategic decisions, providing strong governance and importantly, representing their communities as best they can,” Cr Gillingham said.
“The team at Gannawarra Shire Council have been outstanding. We have achieved a lot over the past year, albeit with extreme circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic, some staffing shortages and now with the continuing devastating floods.
“The flood impacts will be a huge setback for our community as we continue to see water pass through our shire, with large tracts of land inundated. This is a very unhappy time for many, with bumper crops and fodder destroyed. The flow-on effects to local businesses will be enormous.
“Our recovery from these distressing floods will take many years and require significant financial support from both state and federal governments.”
Cr Gillingham will again be supported by Patchell Ward representative, Cr Jane Ogden, who was elected Deputy Mayor for her second one-year term in the role.
“I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow councillors, our community and our new chief executive officer and do the best we can to be a really inclusive team,” Cr Ogden said.
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