Cr Ken Keith looks back on 17 years as mayor of Parkes Shire

To make way for a smooth transition to a new leadership team, Cr Keith concluded his 17th year as mayor at the meeting on September 19, while at the same time marking his 40th consecutive year serving Parkes Shire Council and Parkes Shire communities. He also previously served 17 years as deputy mayor to the late Robert Wilson OAM.

He thanked his family, fellow councillors and council staff for all of their sacrifices, support and hard work over the years, in particular Kent Boyd who's been General Manager for most of Cr Keith's time as mayor.

"It's been a privilige and a great honour to be mayor of Parkes Shire," Cr Keith said.

"It's been really important that we've been part of a team that has all worked for the betterment of our community.

"It's been nice to meet the leaders of a range of community groups and people are dedicated to improving the livability of our community.

"I think the success of Parkes Shire Council over the years has been based on teamwork and the fact that we have merit-based decision making, non-political and we don't come in here with biases. We come in here with making the best decision to take our community forward into the future.

"Parkes has, I believe, a very exciting future and it has been very rewarding to play just my small part in that exciting future."

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In the lead-up to Tuesday's mayoral election, Cr Keith admitted he had mixed emotions to stepping down.

In just the last several years alone he has been part of and witnessed some significant national projects get underway in our own backyard, like the Inland Rail, which he recalls council pushing for as far back as the 90s.

"It's been a long haul and the opportunity to promote the Inland Rail from Melbourne to Moree to Toowoomba to Brisbane [has been a highlight]," Cr Keith said.

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There's also been the Special Activation Precinct first announced in 2018, the Newell Highway bypass and then state government facilities like a new hospital, new police station, new fire stations and SES head quarters.

Other highlights have been the several water security projects for the Parkes Shire.

"The Water Treatment Plant, the Sewerage Treatment Plant and Lake Endeavour, and doing it all in a sustainable way," he said.

"I've had a real passion for that to be funded.

"We received a sustainability award a few years ago for it all.

"When the Special Activation Precinct came there was the need for that third pipeline.

"[And] the first thing when I became mayor was that we had secured funding to refurbish the Parkes Pool in 2008 and now the amenities are getting done.

"The road network has improved considerably over the last 15-16 years."

Cr Keith has watched the Middle Trundle Road get sealed, upgrading of Renshaw McGirr Way which was just a gravel road when he first joined council and the widening of the Bogan Gate to Tullamore road.

He also formulated the idea for a Rural Roads Advisory Committee for council to prioritise what the community wanted and needed, which staff were uncertain about at first but turned out to be really successful.

"It had the reverse effect, it was a good initiative that got underway," Cr Keith said.

On the administration side, a big change for council has been turning to the community more to find out what they want and need.

"When Robert Wilson was mayor there was a big push not borrow money," Cr Keith said.

But when the Global Financial Crisis hit mid 2007, there wasn't much of an option and council soon developed a new policy to seek more feedback from communities and have more integrated planning and reporting.

Cr Keith has no doubt enjoyed watching the growth of the Elvis and ABBA festivals and actively getting involved each year.

"I've enjoyed promoting them, it will be difficult to step back because so many know me and I've been the face of the festival on occasions like at Sydney Central Station before the Elvis Express leaves for Parkes."

And he didn't give it a second thought when asked if he'll still be dressing up.

"Of course I will!"

Cr Keith is undecided whether he'll restand for the next local government elections which have been scheduled for September 14, 2024.

"I'm leaving the door open at this stage," he said.

"You have to remember with this, stepping down as mayor, and selling the farm I'll have two big holes in my life."

But there's always the opportunity to increase his golf handicap too now, he laughed.

Cr Keith never thought he would have been serving council for this long but as time went on, he found himself getting more and more involved.

He also said you also had to consider your place wasn't guaranteed at the next election.

"I've always been community service-minded," he said, attributing that to his parents and family.

"I couldn't have done it without the support of my wife and family.

"And I've worked with so many dedicated councillors who have wanted to do nothing but the best thing by the Parkes Shire."

Cr Keith added he also had a good mentor in Robert Wilson.

And his advice for the new mayor?

"Try and work as a team, it's like in a footy match - a player may score the try but the fact is it's the team who scores the try," he said.

"And work for the betterment of the whole of the shire, there should be a shire focus not a Parkes focus."

General manager Kent Boyd prepared a report that was tabled at the meeting to recognise and chronical some of the many highlights and achievements Cr Keith has received over his 40 years of service to the community.

Early involvement in Rotaract and the Parkes Centenary Committee in 1988 fostered a genuine interest for Cr Keith in the future of Parkes Shire and its community. He has continually been an active councillor committed to the progress and development of all centres in the shire.

He was first elected to Parkes Shire Council in 1983 and after serving for four years was elected deputy mayor in 1987.

Cr Keith has held many positions as a councillor delegate and as mayor, he is also ex-officio to all council committees. These total 24 and include Parkes Shire Economic Development Committee (Chairman), Henry Parkes Centre Management Committee (Chairman), Parkes Pool Planning Committee, Parkes Shire Library Committee, Parkes Sports Infrastructure and Advisory Committee (Chair), Parkes Shire Tourism Board (Chairman), Parkes Sports Council, Parkes Early Childhood Centre Committee (patron and life member), Wiradjuri Elders Advisory Council, Arts Advisory Council, Floodplain Management Committee, Waste Advisory Committee and Youth Advisory Committee.

He's also involved in 24 other community committees and groups, such as the Parkes PA & H Association (life member, patron and Country Exhibit chief steward for 40 years and Western Districts Exhibit), Tichborne/Nelungaloo Landcare Group, NSW Rural Fire Service Volunteer for past 40 years, NSW Farmers Assoc - Parkes Branch, Parkes & District Junior Soccer Association (coach and referee), Lachlan Soccer (manager and coach), Parkes & District Junior Cricket Association (coach and umpire), Bogan Gate Community Association, and Ronald McDonald House and Central West Lodge Charities (Orange).

Mr Boyd said in his report Cr Keith's stance on a wide variety of issues of district relevance to rural and regional Australia earns him widespread respect and admiration, serving as a past Centroc Chairman, Bells Line Expressway Group member and the Local Government and Shires representative to the Roads and Transport Directorate.

He was asked by the minister to be a member of the Regional Health Advisory Planning Panel charged with advising the Minister for Regional Health on the: Development and implementation of the NSW Regional Health Plan; Opportunities for clinician and community input in setting direction and policy; Identification of barriers and incentives to attract non-rural health workers to regional areas; and Strategies to improve access to health and social services, particularly for vulnerable groups.

Since becoming mayor Cr Keith has also been actively involved with the Country Mayors Association being on the executive board, and the immediate past president, advocating and lobbying on relevant state and national issues for commitment to programs that deliver real benefit to rural and regional NSW residents, such as targeted skills and training to meet employment needs or regional NSW, delivery of health services, water security, affordable housing, telecommunication blackspot coverage, increased road funding and disaster preparedness.

Other positions Cr Keith has held at a regional or state level:

Cr Keith said by joining committees at a higher level helped him gain a lot of knowledge that gave him the information he needed to talk to politicians.

For many years Cr Keith has also been actively involved in promoting and participating in the major initiative to encourage reading and highlight the importance of early learning with the Paint the Town REaD Committee that was headed by local school principals. It began in 1996 and has grown to such an extent that it now operates in towns across the country.

Cr Keith has always been involved and is totally committed in the promotion of Inland Rail as vital infrastructure for the long-term prosperity of Australia. He has been a staunch supporter and promoter for this nation-building project and the development of a national freight and supply chain strategy creating a corridor of commerce, bringing to regional Australia sustainable quality jobs while removing freight from the road network to alleviate congestion.

And he has sat as the chair of the Newell Highway Taskforce since 2010. The taskforce was established in 2009 as a fundamental step in a united campaign for the upgrade of the state's longest highway and the nation's most important motoring corridor. In its 14-year lifespan the taskforce has evolved as an effective and respected lobby group with the capacity to coordinate the interests of industry groups in generating increased recognition of the Newell Highway's strategic importance to the transport and tourism sectors.