Walgett's Interim General Manager Andrew Brown was given a standing ovation after councillors appointed him permanently to the top job on Tuesday 22 July.

With no intention to stay Mr Brown took the interim role for a three-month stint in March 2025, following the resignation of previous GM Megan Dixon.

However, the Camden-born university lecturer says he fell for the role and the community.  

"It sounds a little bit cliched, I suppose, but honestly, it was the people, their passion. There are some amazing staff in that organization,

"It's a very collegial council group, and I really respect the way that they have respectful interactions," he said.

"I've experienced councils that have been in extreme turmoil and extreme animosity between the elected body and the staff - and factions within the elected body - and that's just not the case in Walgett.

"They're so passionate about their individual communities, but they focus on the shire as a whole."

Council staff attended the meeting where he was appointed as General Manager to give him a standing ovation. [IMAGE: Walgett Shire Council]

Mr Brown didn't begin his career in local government.

The 42-year-old began volunteering aged 16 at the Rural Fire Service (RFS) before moving into the service's professional wing about five years later.

He specialised in forensic fire investigation, which led him to become a solicitor for a Dubbo legal firm in the mid-2010s before moving to another practice in Armidale 

His work in the legal world put him in contact with a local council, which inspired another career change in 2019 when he joined Armidale Regional Council with responsibilities including human resources, governance and information technology.

He has also worked at Narrabri Shire Council and as the University of New England's Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

Mr Brown initially came to Walgett in late 2024 to provide legal and governance advice, and was tapped on the shoulder to stay as Interim GM.

He currently lectures in rural criminology at the university.

Mr Brown officially begins as the permanent General Manager in August. [IMAGE: Walgett Shire Council]

"There's a lot of crossover there, which is great because it keeps my knowledge base up from an academic perspective and also allows me to put a lot of that stuff into practice," Mr Brown said.

"Whilst youth crime has become a more public thing at the moment, we shouldn't shy away from the other problems that we're having too, which are domestic violence and family-related crime.

"We need to be making sure that we're dealing with it, advocating to all levels of government"

Fish passage infrastructure proposed by the NSW government was first off the rank when asked the biggest issues facing the shire.

Mr Brown said the council supports passageways, but opposes works they believe would reduce the shire's water security. 

He also flagged crime, reestablishing the Kookaburra Court aged care facility, and reopening the Walgett and Collarenebri bore baths.

“Andrew stepped into the interim role fully aware of the challenges Council was facing, but wasted no time rolling up his sleeves and getting on with the job. His leadership over the past few months has been widely recognised both within the organisation and in the community," Walgett mayor Jasen Ramien said.

“When his permanent appointment was announced, every staff member in the office came upstairs and gave a standing ovation. That kind of response speaks volumes about the respect he’s earned in such a short time. If this is what he can achieve in just a few months, the next five years are looking very promising.

“We’re excited to keep working with Andrew as he leads the next chapter for Council and the Walgett community.”

Mr Brown's five-year term will officially begin on 25 August.