Women of various ages challenge for seat on all-male Berrigan Council

Seven men and six women are seeking a seat on the eight-member council which has been void of a female voice since 2016.

Mayor Matt Hannan encouraged women to stand over the past five years and welcomed the turnout.

"It's good we have some young mothers standing for council, because when you're in local government you want perspectives across all the demographics and there are also a couple of businesswomen standing as well," Cr Hannan said.

The female contenders are Renee Paine (Berrigan) Carly Marriott (Boomanoomana), Sarah McNaught (Finley), Julia Cornwell McKean (Barooga) and Tocumwal pair Clare Allen and Mandy Bonat.

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In addition to Cr Hannan, other incumbents running are John Taylor, Daryll Morris, Roger Reynoldson and Ross Bodey.

Fresh male challengers are Tocumwal farmer Ted Hatty and Barooga football club president Marcus Fry.

Council retirees are John Bruce, Dennis Glanville and Colin Jones who served for a combined 46 years.

Ms Marriott said Cr Bruce and Cr Hannan had urged her to run.

The daughter of Southern Riverina Irrigators chairman Chris Brooks gained a regional profile during the 2019 election campaign when she raised concerns about the Murray-Darling Basin plan.

"I'm not interested in politics at a federal or state level, I'm interested in living and working in this region...that's why I'm running for council," Ms Marriott said.

She wants to see a greater focus given to on-water activities on the Murray River, such as houseboats, paddle boarding and kayaking.

Dr Cornwell McKean gained a profile after fighting to stop the closure of the pool at the Barooga Sports Club last year.

After having resided part-time in the area, she moved up full-time from Melbourne last March as COVID forced her to transfer her consultancy and public service training business fully online.

Last month Dr Cornwell McKean set up a stand outside Barooga's hotel to help those unable to access COVID vaccination certificates and wrote to the Prime Minister Scott Morrison with her concerns.

Mrs Allan has two tourist parks and a coffee shop at Tocumwal.

She is keen to reinvent the shire's image and "to stop people referring to the area as being for the retired".

Ms Paine said as a 32 year-old "young mum" she wanted to bring her experiences, which has seen involved in dog rescue, horses and the local show society, to council.

"I'm a woman who has an opinion and I'm not afraid to voice it," she said.

Mrs McNaught is a barrister with experience in personal injury law, while Ms Bonat works in customer service.

Ms Bonat said Berrigan being only one of four councils in NSW to not have a female had motivated her to run.

She wants a hard waste collection introduced into the shire.

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