06-08-2026
When people think of local councils, they often think of roads, rates and rubbish. While these are important services, they represent only part of the work undertaken every day by Upper Lachlan Shire Council to keep our communities functioning, safe and connected.
As part of NSW Local Government Week, celebrated from 3–9 August 2026, Upper Lachlan Shire Council is shining a light on the people behind local government and the extraordinary breadth of work undertaken across the Shire every day.
Local Government Week is an annual opportunity to recognise the important role councils play in communities across New South Wales and to encourage residents to learn more about the services delivered close to home.
Upper Lachlan Shire Council services a geographically large and dispersed rural community across more than 7,000 square kilometres. Delivering services across such a large area, with a relatively small population and limited resources, requires Council’s workforce to be practical, adaptable and resourceful.
On any given day, Council staff may be grading a rural road, repairing a water main, maintaining a park or sporting field, collecting waste, assessing a development application, inspecting a food premises, responding to a customer request, maintaining a cemetery, managing a swimming pool or library, undertaking biosecurity work, supporting a community event or preparing the next grant application to help fund essential infrastructure.
Behind those visible services is another significant body of work required to keep Council and the community functioning – finance, governance, records, information technology, human resources, procurement, asset management, engineering, planning, regulatory services, communications, customer service and long-term strategic planning.
Council is also responsible for planning for the future. This includes strategic land-use planning, environmental management, economic development, tourism, infrastructure and asset planning, financial sustainability and advocating for the funding and investment our communities need.
Many projects delivered across the Shire would simply not be possible without external funding. Council staff work continually to identify opportunities, develop projects, prepare grant applications and manage funding agreements with the NSW and Australian Governments. This work helps turn limited local resources into new and improved roads, footpaths, playgrounds, bus shelters, community facilities and other infrastructure.
Chief Executive Officer Ms Alex Waldron said Local Government Week was an important opportunity to recognise the people who make these services possible.
“Local government is ultimately about people serving their community. Our staff do an enormous amount of work, often with limited resources, across a very large geographic area.
“Much of that work happens quietly in the background. People may not necessarily think about Council until they turn on a tap, drive along a local road, put their bin out, visit a park or library, lodge a development application, attend a community event or need assistance following an emergency.
“Behind every one of those services are Council employees who live and work in our region and who genuinely care about the communities they serve.
“Our teams regularly go above and beyond. They respond to water main breaks in the middle of cold winter nights, clear roads following storms, repair infrastructure after emergencies and keep essential services operating while continuing to deliver the everyday work our community expects.
“As a small rural council, we don’t have unlimited people or unlimited resources. What we do have is a workforce that is incredibly resourceful and committed to getting the best possible outcome from what we have.
“Local Government Week is a chance to say thank you to our staff and also to remind our community just how much local government does every day.”
Council also acknowledges the important contribution of its elected Councillors, who represent the interests of residents and make decisions about the priorities, services and future direction of the Shire, as well as the many volunteers and community organisations that work alongside Council.
From roads, bridges, water, sewer and waste services to parks, pools, libraries, cemeteries, planning, environmental health, biosecurity, emergency management, tourism and community facilities, local government touches almost every part of daily life.
Every road travelled, tap turned on, sporting field enjoyed, development assessed, library book borrowed, playground visited and community event supported reflects the work of local government.
This Local Government Week, Upper Lachlan Shire Council is proud to celebrate the people behind those services – the everyday people working every day to keep the Upper Lachlan a great place to live, work and visit.