Morawa shire president Karen Chappel re-elected for second stint as WA Local Government Association president

Morawa’s local leader has been re-elected for a second term as president of the WA Local Government Association (WALGA). Shire of Morawa president Karen Chappel was re-elected WALGA president at the State Council meeting on Thursday. Cr Chappel has been a councillor since 2005 and has held Morawa’s top position for 15 years. She said she was proud to be part of the association’s growth and highlighted its achievements throughout her first term, particularly the engagement with State and Federal Governments on sector budget priorities. “We have been able to build mutually respectful relationships through our advocacy work and I am heartened that at WALGA we are a strong voice for the sector in both campaigning on the issues that matter to our council members and supporting the communities we represent,” she said. “We have enormous expertise within WALGA and we provide expert advice, services and support to deliver outcomes for our member councils.” Cr Chappel said she looked forward to working with the State council leading up to the State and Federal elections. “I am confident that through a combination of targeted advocacy and our relationship with Government, sector priorities will be recognised and budget requests met,” she said. Cr Chappel was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours list for her significant service to local government and to the community of Morawa. She is also the deputy president of the Australian Local Government Association. WALGA CEO Nick Sloan congratulated Cr Chappel on her re-election and acknowledged her achievements in leading the association and representing the local government sector during the past two years.