Mayoral Column - 12 December 2025
Published on 12 December 2025
As the Cessnock local government area continues to grow, it’s vital we ensure our community has a proactive solutions-focused approach to social wellbeing. So, I was pleased that my Mayoral Minute calling for our local state and federal MPs to organise a Cessnock Regional Services Forum was unanimously supported at a recent Council meeting.
Service providers across Cessnock LGA face increasing demand and some have reported an escalation in the complexity of cases when it comes to homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, family violence, and mental health challenges. Many of these providers are working beyond their capacity, and with limited resources.
A local services forum would provide an avenue for agencies, practitioners, and government representatives to share intelligence and identify service gaps, as well as facilitate cross-sector collaboration, and establish a foundation for a unified approach to advocacy to governments. It would also strengthen Council’s understanding of how to best support local service networks.
Finally, I’d like to reflect on the remarkable life of former Cessnock City Mayor Alison Davey, who passed away last month aged 86. This is the first opportunity I’ve had in a written forum to pay tribute to Ms Davey, who was a true champion of our community and worked tirelessly as an educator and elected representative for decades – among her many notable achievements, she was a founding member of Cessnock Tidy Towns. As a result of her outstanding service, she received our community’s highest honour when she was named the 13th Freeman of the City of Cessnock in 2019. Our thoughts are with Ms Davey’s family and friends.