Cr Tony Keeble was elected to the position of Deputy Mayor, rounding out Council’s leadership team for the next year.
Cr Forsyth was Mayor in 2021 and is serving his third term on Council, bringing a wealth of experience to the position.
He thanked his fellow Councillors for their confidence in his ability to lead, and said Council is approaching 2023 with a continued focus on community engagement and customer service.
“2022 has certainly been an eventful year so far,” he said.
“We are all glad to see a move away from the COVID-19 restrictions that so greatly impacted our lives in 2020 and 2021.
“We welcomed new Chief Executive Officer Will Jeremy to the role in July, and with his help we are looking forward to building on our connection with our communities and focussing on the way we serve our customers.
“We are now halfway through our four-year Council term - I’m excited to see what the rest of our term will bring!”
Cr Forsyth said 2023 is shaping up to be another exciting year, though not without its challenges.
“This year saw the adoption of our Climate Action Plan, with our commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Council corporate operations to net zero by July 2023,” he said.
“We are currently carrying out community engagement for the ‘Your Town, Your Future’ Land Development Strategy, another important document that will help guide the way we approach growth and land development into the future.
“We know the cost of living and housing availability continue to put pressure on our communities and business operators, and wet weather is impacting roads, drainage and public assets - not to mention the very real risk of flooding.
“We will continue to serve and support our communities with passion, honesty and integrity as we navigate these challenges together.”
Mayoral elections are held annually.
Former Mayor Sarah Nicholas and former Deputy Mayor Katarina Hughes revert to their general Councillor roles.
