Third time around for south-west council's newly elected mayor

Councillor Karen Stephens was elected unopposed at the council's Portland chambers at a statutory meeting on Wednesday, November 8. She replaced Cr Scott Martin who was in the role from 2022-23.

Cr Stephens was first elected onto the council in March 2002, serving as mayor from 2004 to 2005 and 2012 to 2013.

"We've only got one more year of council to go before the next election so I think we certainly need to rebuild the confidence in the community and council," she told The Standard.

"As I've pledged, we will listen - I'll ensure we are listening to the community.

"(And) that we have good, sound communications with the community, which over the last couple of years - we don't like to blame COVID-19 but those interactions have changed - and we need to get back to the basics and deliver for our community."

Cr Stephens said this included "reminding ourselves what our role actually is".

"It's delivering good outcomes for the community," she said.

Cr Stephens said she took on the role because she felt the council needed "somebody that was experienced to step up and do it".

She said the decision not to elect a deputy mayor gave other councillors, whether experienced or new to the role, the opportunity to lead in her absence.

The council is going through difficult times with the resignation of several councillors and the chief executive officer within days of each other, and the recent appointment of monitors as requested by Cr Martin.

Cr Stephens said while she couldn't change "what had happened yesterday", she could "ensure that I lead and we have respect and integrity into the community".

"And that our community really is proud of living and working and running a business in the Glenelg Shire," she said.

Outside of her council duties, Cr Stephens has been a licensed real estate agent since 1985 and started up her own company when she moved to Casterton in 1992.

Over the years Cr Stephens has been involved in significant projects including chairing the review by Australian National University of Land Use Change in the Green Triangle Region and Barwon South West Women's Forum for Climate Change and is the current chair of the Green Triangle Freight Action Plan Implementation Committee which has successfully advocated and achieved over $250 million for road funding in the region.

She is also heavily involved in the Casterton community as a volunteer through a number of different organisations and is a founding member of the Casterton Kelpie Association, which holds its annual Australian Kelpie Muster on the King's Birthday weekend each June.