MAYOR Mathew Dickerson argues that marriage equality is "almost irrelevant" at Dubbo despite local government in Australia slowly but surely taking the issue to heart.
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Cr Dickerson has not ruled out the possibility of Dubbo City Council debating same-sex marriage in the future.
But right now he's not getting the "vibe" from the community that he thinks necessary to prompt the preparation of a notice of motion by any of Dubbo's 11 elected councillors.
"It's almost irrelevant because it hasn't been on the radar," he said.
"The first conversation I've had with anyone about this issue is this conversation I'm having with you.
"There are things that have been of much more significance to the people of Dubbo based on what they've come to me about, than this issue."
Last month Buloke Shire Council, home to about 8000 people in rural north-west Victoria, unanimously passed a motion in support of marriage equality and lobbying of the federal government for legislative reform.
Late last year Albury City councillors voted five-to-four in favour of publically supporting same-sex marriage and conveying their stand to state and federal government representatives.
Cr Ross Jackson, who had been encouraged to table the motion by advocates of equal rights, told the council of being asked if marriage equality was an issue for local government.
"I reflect to Section 232 of the Local Government Act which states that the role of a councillor as an elected person is to provide leadership and guidance to the community," he said.
Albury City councillors were told that 62 per cent of Australians did not have an issue with same-sex marriage and 75 per cent of those surveyed believed reform was inevitable.
Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome has welcomed support for same-sex marriage from councils in the bush and the metropolis.
"The Buloke council's support for marriage equality shows the reform has strong support in rural as well as urban Australia," he said.
Mr Croome said in recent months marriage equality had been backed by other regional and rural councils such as Geelong, Ballarat, Surf Coast, Byron Bay, Albury and Wodonga.
Cr Dickerson said he had "no idea" if same-sex marriage would ever be debated by Dubbo City Council but insisted councillors would never declare "we don't want to hear about that, we don't want to talk about that".
Earlier he advocated for councils to "work on issues they could control".
"It's just one of those thing that we don't have the ability to make laws around marriage equality," he said.
The mayor imagines that the issue is not being raised with Dubbo City councillors because residents "logically" conclude that "you talk to your council about things council has an influence on" and go to government on issues such as marriage equality because it will be the arbiter.
He did not consider lobbying government on marriage equality akin to lobbying on behalf of community for resources or money.
"When we lobby for things like the LH Ford bridge, we have got a degree of influence by way of contributions to that project," he said.
The mayor contemplated the suggestion that contributing to the national debate on marriage equality could also generate influence.
"Possibly, but again we've got to be receptive to what our community wants," Cr Dickerson said.
"This isn't something anyone is talking to me about or asking that council push on their behalf. To me there is no direction there."
The mayor said the work of councillors should reflect the "community's views".
"But a councillor certainly can bring up ideas they have and go forward with various concepts and ideas if they are deemed to be good for the community," he said.
Cr Dickerson declined to say how he would vote should a motion on same-sex marriage appear in council business papers.
"Decisions should be made after debate," he said.
In 2013 England passed a bill allowing same-sex marriages as did New Zealand in early 2014.