Maribyrnong leaders honoured at the 2023 Victorian Councillor Service
Published on 13 October 2023
Maribyrnong’s first three-time female Mayor has now become only the second Mayor in our municipality’s history to achieve Emeritus Status - the highest recognition for distinguished service in local government leadership.
Cr Sarah Carter received the esteemed Mayor Emeritus Award, presented to Councillors who have served three or more full terms as Mayor, at the 2023 Municipal Association of Victoria Victorian Councillor Service Awards.
These awards celebrate the exceptional dedication and unwavering commitment by long serving councillors across the State, with an emphasis on years of service milestones.
Mayor Carter’s 15 years of continuous service was also recognised. First elected in 2008 this is her fourth consecutive term on Council including mayoral terms in 2011, 2020, and 2023.
When elected as Mayor last November, she also achieved the remarkable feat of being the first third-term female Mayor in 163 years of civic administration, not just in the history of Maribyrnong but also its predecessor, the City of Footscray.
Her focus during her most recent tenure has been on delivering high-quality amenities and infrastructure to support the community’s wellbeing. This includes reimagining and optimising existing open space - with the addition of around five thousand square metres of new areas delivered in past year alone including the Birmingham Street Park and an expanded Berbert Park, and transformation of car park at Saltriver Place, and the new Lilardia and Clarke Street parks in the pipeline - and the multi-million dollar upgrades to key distributor roads underway, with Somerville Road already completed.
“Getting the basics right and to the highest standards”, is her motto.
Mayor Carter also remains a passionate advocate for a proposed new performing arts and cultural hub for the west, for festivals and activations that foster a thriving community, and she also plays a significant role as Council’s Gender Equity Ambassador.
Cr Michael Clarke, who achieved Mayor Emeritus status in 2022, this year also received an award recognising his 15 years of service on Council, which included consecutive terms from 2005 through to 2016 before being re-elected in 2020.
Current Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam, was also acknowledged for her 10 years as a local councillor. First elected in 2000 and then again in 2016, including a term as Mayor in 2018, she was also re-elected in 2020.
Maribyrnong’s three councillors were among 88 across Victoria recognised in this year’s service awards presented by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).
Message from the Mayor, Councillor Sarah Carter
“It was a great source of pride to me to be the first woman in the Council’s history to be elected Mayor three times and I am deeply honoured and humbled to now also receive the Mayor Emeritus Award. Serving the community of Maribyrnong is a privilege and a joy, and I am grateful for the trust and support of my colleagues and Maribyrnong residents.”
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