Oberne Creek resident Julia Ham was last week elected Mayor of Snowy Valleys Council, and welcomed her deputy Hugh Packham back to the fold “after a 20-year hiatus”. Photo: Snowy Valleys Council.
After Councillor Julia Ham was last week elected Mayor of Snowy Valleys Council, her first official undertaking came in the form of a touching tribute to those councillors who preceded her.
Having been elected to a third term as a councillor, the Oberne Creek early education consultant was chosen by secret ballot in a two-person contest against former Snowy Valleys mayor, Adelong teacher and farmer Cr James Hayes.
But in a speech following her election as Mayor and Hugh Packard’s as her deputy, she singled out Cr Hayes and former councillor Ian Chaffey, offering high praise to the two men who had served Snowy Valleys as mayors since the LGA was formed in 2016 as a result of merging the two former shires of Tumut and Tumbarumba.
“Both were diligent and effective in their role, and I hope to be the same,” she said.
She paid tribute to Cr Chaffey for his “extraordinary 39 years in local government” and welcomed her new deputy back to the fold “after a 20-year hiatus”.
Cr Ham lives with her family on a Merino sheep property. As chair of Tarcutta Valley Landcare Group and a member of the Murray Darling Association, she has been a long-term advocate of sustainable agricultural practices and environmental protection.
Tourism has also featured high on her agenda, championing tourism initiatives such as rail trails, which saw a non-operational railway corridor between Albury Street, Tumbarumba, and McEachern Lane, Rosewood, converted to about 22 kilometres of multipurpose sealed trail for cyclists and walkers.
The Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail is now considered one of the most successful such trails in the country.
In a speech last week following her election, Cr Ham said running for council was a big decision.
“It costs money, it takes time, it needs negotiation with family, and putting yourself in the public eye,” she said.
Of the 14 candidates in the 2024 local government elections, five – Ian Chaffey, Brent Livermore, Hansie Armour, Sam Hughes and Mick Ivill – were former councillors now no longer part of Snowy Valleys Council and should be thanked for their dedication to the community, Cr Ham said.
“It is the sign of a healthy community when the selection for councillors is a difficult task,” she said.
Snowy Valleys Council general manager Steve Pinnuck and his staff were also acknowledged.
“The staff at Snowy Valleys Council continually lift when needed,” Cr Ham said. “They do make it work; often in tough times, out of hours and sometimes against the popular view.
”They do not give up. Because of you, things happen. Because of you, the council area works. Because of you, we take so much for granted. Today we want you to know you are acknowledged and appreciated.”
However, the new Mayor was especially fervent about the nine councillors.
“We are nine people around a table,” she said. “Nine people with a similar goal. A simple goal. The goal of the whole community. That is to make it work.”
Among Cr Ham’s stated goals is financial sustainability, “not to spend above our means. Be clever with our assets while still recognising the needs, not the wants, of the community”, and to complete the de-amalgamation process, “however that is decided … and so the community can move on”.
Her vision, she says, is one of fighting for ongoing legacy while advocating for growth on community terms.
“It is the community’s land and as a community, we need to decide how it is used,” she said.
“Plan for growth in the region so our children and families stay and want to be part of this very special, beautiful part of the world.”
With the diverse mix of backgrounds among the nine councillors, she said the council was a team that would debate, question and keep the doors open to the community to ensure engagement.
“For the next two or four years, I will work with you as a strong leader who will listen and respond to the community,” Cr Ham said.
”I know I am only one of nine who will do the same. Let’s enjoy the challenge.”
The newly formed Snowy Valleys Council will gather for its first ordinary meeting on 17 October. Among the items to be considered is a community petition relating to one legacy of the former council – the closure of Adelong’s library and reduced pool hours.
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