The Victorian Government has appointed nine mayors to its 2025 Local Government Mayoral Advisory Panel, aiming to bolster governance and strategic direction across councils.
Chaired by Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos, the panel is tasked with providing high-level advice on legislation, regulation, strategy, and policy affecting Victoria’s 79 councils.
A key focus this year will be improving governance standards and tackling broader sector challenges.
Panel members have been drawn from a broad cross-section of Victoria, covering metropolitan, regional, and rural communities. Among those appointed are Cr Louise Crawford (Port Phillip), Cr Simone Zmood (Glen Eira), Cr Paul Klisaris (Monash), Cr Jack Kowarzik (Cardinia), Cr Steve Abboushi (Melton), Cr Jarrod Bell (Hume), Cr Ben Blain (Warrnambool), Cr Rosie Annear (Mt Alexander) and Cr Karen Hyslop (Northern Grampians).
Staikos formally opened the 2025 panel’s first meeting last week, the first of three sessions scheduled for the year.
He said it is important to have councils that are “responsive, resilient and deeply connected” to their communities, noting the advisory group’s pivotal role in shaping government approaches to local priorities.
The composition of the panel reflects the government’s commitment to capturing a range of local government experiences and regional insights.
It is expected that issues such as council governance, financial sustainability, community engagement, and sector reforms will feature prominently in the panel’s discussions.
Further information about the panel’s work can be found here.
