Wyndham councillors are being called on for higher duties, with two recently appointed to statewide advocacy boards.
Chaffey ward councillor Josh Gilligan made history earlier this month when he became the first Wyndham councillor elected to the Municipal Association of Victoria board; the MAV is the peak lobby group for local government.
At just 23, Cr Gilligan is also one of the youngest councillors ever elected to the MAV board.
Cr Gilligan said he put his hand up for the two-year term to give Wyndham council a stronger voice at the state level.
“Representing Wyndham on the MAV board will allow me to give a louder voice to our community and shine a spotlight on the issues facing Melbourne’s west, as well as the opportunities this area offers,” he said.
Meanwhile, fellow Chaffey ward councillor Walter Villagonzalo has been appointed to the Ministerial Council of Volunteers, a state advisory board that works with the state government to support and strengthen the volunteer sector.
Cr Villagonzalo has been a volunteer for the past 20 years and is founder of the Migrant Hub, a social enterprise that has been running since 2009 to help newly-arrived migrants assimilate into mainstream communities.
“We need to encourage more people to volunteer; to give back to their community,” he said.
“Being in this role gives me the opportunity to have an input into the future of volunteering.”
