Long-serving Gilgandra shire councillor Ashleigh (Ash) Walker has received a stream of well wishes following the announcement of his resignation after 13 years in the role of Deputy Mayor.

Ash and his wife Libby will relocate to Mudgee next year to be closer to their children and their parents.

However, the timing of Cr Walker's resignation - within 18 months of the last local government election - leaves his council in the fortunate position of being able to appoint a replacement on a countback rather than having to take residents to a by-election.

A count-back uses the ballot papers from the September 2024 election to identify which unelected candidate will fill the vacancy.

As it turns out, former councillor Gail Babbage is the sole candidate on the ballot draw list and she has confirmed her willingness to re-stand.

Ms Babbage served on council from 2020 to 2024 and Cr Walker says she missed a seat at that election by "just a handful of votes."

"We estimate it will save Gilgandra shire around $40,000 to $50,000 and it's great because Gail has an amazing skillset," Cr Walker told the Western Plains App.

"She's a qualified architect so she has skills in planning and project management, plus she's a local who's well respected and connected in the community."

Ash Walker with mayor Doug Batten. [IMAGE: Gilgandra Shire Council]

At the age of 36 Mr Walker was quickly thrust into the leadership position at his first ever council meeting within a week of the election.

He has retained the position ever since.

Reflecting on his time on council, Cr Walker says it has been "both an honour and a privilege."

"More for than a decade I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside committed councillors, passionate community members, and a resilient local government team - all united by a shared goal of making Gilgandra stronger, more vibrant, and more sustainable.”

He says he takes particular pride in being part of the team responsible for growing the council's financial resources while also delivering a suite of major infrastructure projects.

"We've grown our budget from $22million in 2012 to this financial year delivering an $82 million budget.

"This includes growing our rate base from $3.8 million to now $5.9 million as well as the attraction of outside funds.

"We've now replaced 11 out of 12 of our timber bridges, and some of those were major projects.

"We built a new depot for our outdoor works staff and we've got a new Library, a new tourism and visitor information centre.

"We've sealed 12 kilometres of the National Park Road and put another 6 kilometres of new seal on the Tooraweenah to Mendooran Road.

"The occupancy rate of our Cooee Lodge is basically 99%."

Cr Walker has been part of the cohort who set clear targets - through plans like their Gilgandra Activation Blueprint andTowards 5000 - so everyone is clear on council's vision and direction.

And it seems to be working.

"Gilgandra has had population growth at the last census, contrary to most of the other towns around us," he said.

"Through our Integrated Planning & Reporting we've had this really clear strategic approach.

"Also, having really good staff is important and continuity is important."

Gilgandra Shire councillors. [IMAGE: GSC]

But it's not just about the numbers.

"It's about improving the liveability of the community.

"It shores up house prices, so people have shored up equity in their homes.

"It's an attractive place to live, we have a low crime rate and our facilities are getting renewed."

He cites the $16 to $20 million Hunter Park sporting and recreational precinct as the next big project to be delivered.

But he says while he'll miss the community focus you have as an elected councillor, he won't miss the negativity.

"Those people who are single issue people and can't look at council as a whole operation.

"I really believe you only get the community you're prepared to help build.

"I'm looking forward to some people coming forward and asking me about my role on council, what it means, what my focus has been and have those people in the next round of people putting their hand up in 2028."

Mayor Cr Doug Batten thanked Cr Walker for his dedication and expertise across thirteen years of service to Council and his contributions to the Gilgandra Region.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside Ash over the past thirteen years. During this time, he has not only been a fellow councillor, but also a trusted confidant.

"He has given countless hours of his time in service to our community, not only through his work around the Council table but also through his strong presence within the community.”

Cr Walker’s resignation will take effect on 21 October, and the countback process must be completed within 49 days of the vacancy being declared.

Cr Batten says Council will be requesting the Electoral Commission to finalise the process as soon as possible to fill the vacancy.