The Council is a body of nine members who are elected for a four year term to carry out duties under the provisions of the Local Government Act and Regulations. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected for a two year period by the members of the Council. The Mayor, as well as being Chairman of Meetings, represents Council when it is not in session.
The elected body is supported by a team of Council staff who are responsible for bringing the policies and changes into effect.
Contact your Councillors
Listed below are the contact details for each individual Councillor. Councillors can be contacted by either phone or email.
Should you wish to contact all Councillors on a specific matter, you can send an email to councillors@wagga.nsw.gov.au. This will ensure that all Councillors will receive the same information at the same time.
Councillor Dallas Tout (Mayor)
Cr Dallas Tout was first elected to Council in 2012 and has served continually since that date.
Cr Tout was elected Deputy Mayor in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2020 and was elected as Mayor in 2022.
Mobile: 0427 448 525
councillor.tout@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Amelia Parkins (Deputy Mayor)
Cr Amelia Parkins was first elected to Council in 2021.
Cr Parkins was elected as Deputy Mayor in 2023.
Mobile: 0413 282 782
councillor.parkins@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Georgie Davies
Cr Georgie Davies was first elected to Council in 2021.
Mobile: 0448 313 290
councillor.davies@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Richard Foley
Cr Richard Foley was first elected to Council in 2021.
Mobile: 0455 946 001
councillor.foley@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Michael Henderson
Cr Michael Henderson was first elected to Council in 2021.
Mobile: 0459 787 100
councillor.henderson@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Rod Kendall
Cr Rod Kendall was first elected to Council in 2004 and has served continually since that date.
Cr Kendall was elected Mayor in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Mobile: 0467 552 263
councillor.kendall@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Tim Koschel
Cr Tim Koschel was first elected to Council in 2016 and has served continually since that date.
Mobile: 0400 712 880
councillor.koschel@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Jenny McKinnon
Cr Jenny McKinnon was first elected to Council in 2021.
Cr McKinnon was elected as Deputy Mayor in 2022.
Mobile: 0409 808 830
councillor.mckinnon@wagga.nsw.gov.au
Previous Mayors and Deputy Mayors of Wagga
1870-1874 G Forsyth
1875 and 1877 T Hodson
1876 C Wall
1878 G Mair
1879-81, 1887-89 H.B Fitzhardinge
1882-83 A.T. Bolton
1884-85 J Gormly
1886 H Hayes
1890 C.H Croaker
1891-92 and 1894 J.J McGrath
1893, 1895 and 1898-99 G Coleman
1895-96 R.S Heydon
1897 and 1906-1908 J Hayes
1900-01 and 1908-09 G Rudd
1902-03 C Hardy
1904-05 W.J Blake
1910-11 T Dobney
1912-13, 1917-1919, 1926-1927 and 1929-1934 E.E Collins
1914 F.J McDonough
1915-16, 1922-23 H Oates
1920-21 I Cullen
1924-25 D.T Byrnes
1928 W.F Day
1935-37 H McDonough
1938-44, 1951-51 H.E Gissing
1945-46 J.V Doyle
1947-49 L Barrand
1952-54 W.F Dunne
1955-57 I.J Jack MBE
1957-1959 H.L Condon
1959-66 I.J Jack MBE
1967-70 R.J Harris
1971-72, 1974, 1984-85 M.H. Gissing
1973, 1975-76 R Gorman
1977 B.V Allen
1978-82 BN Hedditch
1983, 1990-95 P. Brassil
1986-1989 R.F Harris
1995-1997 P.S Dale
1997-1999 J.R Harding
1999-2004 K.J Wales
2005-2010 K Pascoe
2010 - 2011 W Geale
2011-2012 K Pascoe
2012-2016 R Kendall
2016-2021 G Conkey OAM
2022-Present D Tout
1928 - 1931 – E.F Lusher
1932 - 1934 – H McDonough
1934 - 1937 – W.J Stevenson
1943 - 1945 – J.A Harrison
1947 - 1948 – V.E Lawrence
1948 - 1950 – F.B Raye
1953 - 1954 – I.J Jack
1955 - 1958 – R.J Harris
1958 - 1959 – J.J Sullivan
1959 - 1966 – F.C White
1968 – C.W Toy
1969 - 1970 – M.H Gissing
1970 - 1971 – E.M Geoghegan
1972 - 1973 – M.H Gissing
1983 - 1984 – M.C Kidson
1984 – R.F Harris
1985 - 1986 – M.C Kidson
1986 - 1989 - P. S. Dale
1989 - 1990 – M.Quinn
1990 - 1995 - J. Harding
1995 – 1998 – K Hull AM
1999 - M Georgiou
2000 – 2003 – L.V Vidler
2004 - M Georgiou
2005 – D Simpson
2006 - 2007 – J Haye
2008 - 2009 – L.V Vidler
2010 – A.J Brown
2011 – R Goodlass
2012 – Y Braid OAM
2012 - 2013 – A Negline
2014 - 2021 – D Tout
2022 - 2023 – J McKinnon
2023 - Present – A Parkins
The role of the Councillors
The Mayor's Job
The Mayor's responsibilities vary widely, but all are intended to ensure the well-being of the city and its people.
The Mayor officially represents the Council at many public events such as:
- Opening new establishments within the city
- Attending inaugural meetings
- Guest speaker at many functions
Civic welcomes are extended by the Mayor to dignitaries visiting the city. The Mayor also meets Cabinet Ministers, Government Departmental heads and Members of Parliament to discuss matters of common interest to the city.
The Mayor is automatically on all Council Committees (ex-officio), chairs all full Council meetings, and has the right to vote. Whenever the vote is even, the Mayor may exercise a casting vote.At Council meetings the Mayor may bring before the Council, as a Mayoral Minute, any matter which requires immediate attention. When these Mayoral Minutes are brought forward at meetings, they are given precedence over all other business. When the Council is not in session (meeting) the Mayor may make policy decisions which can then be confirmed and accepted by the full Council at its next meeting.
The Councillor's Job
Councillors are elected members of the Council. Their jobs cover many areas, each aimed at satisfying expectations of the local community. A Councillor is expected to be many things, including:
- representative of the people
- planner and goal setter
- decision maker
- civic leader
- member of a board of directors
- communicator
- politician
The Councillors are the Board of Directors for the Local Government organisation. They approve Council expenditure; set goals, strategies and policies; co-operate with appointed managers; and decide issues submitted to the Council.
Councillors also allocate resources for various Local Government functions, and watch over the efficiency, cost and effectiveness of Council's organisation. They help set priorities for Council both in planning and in execution of its works programmes.
They must be advocates for the Local Government Area and promote it, and can be called upon to represent Council in inter-government matters. Councillors, like the Mayor, undertake civic duties such as receiving dignitaries and attending civic functions.
Being elected representatives, Councillors are delegates and trustees not only for the people who voted for them, but also for those who did not. They pass on information about Council activities to various sectors of the community and provide input of community attitudes to Council. They often receive petitions from voters, and so Councillors have to make sure they are familiar with the issues involved.
Councillors are expected to show leadership in the community, in the Council, and as private citizens. They must at all times act reasonably, with equity and justice, and must submerge any self interest. They are expected to be active and look to the future. To do all this, Councillors need to keep themselves informed of a wide range of matters, about government, administration, finance, economics and society.