TWO Dubbo City councillors have secured leadership positions in the peak body for local government in NSW.
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Cr Greg Matthews and Cr Ben Shields successfully contested the first board election of Local Government NSW (LGNSW).
They are two of 10 regional/rural directors of the organisation that resulted from the merger of the Local Government Association of NSW and the Shires Association of NSW.
Cr Keith Rhoades from Coffs Harbour was elected to take the reins of the new organisation after serving as interim co-president with Bogan Shire mayor Ray Donald.
Cr Allan Smith and Cr Rod Towney from Dubbo were unsuccessful nominees to director positions.
Cr Smith had also contested the vice-president for regional/rural councils, but lost to Cr Bruce Miller of Cowra.
The announcements were made before the conference held at Sydney Town Hall wound up.
The annual event also gave Mid-Western Regional Council cause for jubilation when it won the "pinnacle of achievement for local councils".
The council was one of two NSW councils to receive the AR Bluett Memorial Award.
The award for excellence recognised recipients as the most progressive local government organisations for achievements made and effective management during the 2012-13 financial year.
Dubbo City Council won the accolade in 2005.
Rounds of applause were punctuated by fierce debate and consideration of issues during the two days.
LGNSW in partnership with TAFE NSW, the UTS Centre for Local Government and the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) launched a new accredited course for NSW elected members.
Cr Rhoades said developing and providing the program in partnership with such reputable educational institutes would benefit elected members and their communities.
"For new councillors, this course will help them make the transition into their community leadership role, as it can be a daunting task stepping into the local government arena with little training on legislative responsibilities, land-use planning, and finance and asset management," he said.
"For existing mayors and councillors, this high-quality course will reinforce their practical local government experience with sound theory and techniques to set vision, direction and policy, and balance the short-term and long-term needs of their community."