Sue Gold replaces Larry Goldsworthy on Indigo Council after VEC countback

The Victorian Electoral Commission declared Ms Gold the winner of the countback on Wednesday, August 9, to replace Larry Goldsworthy after he handed in his resignation on June 30, 2023.

Ms Gold was one of 11 candidates vying for Mr Goldsworthy's position and defeated Troy Dillon, Peter Watkins, Kate Sutherland, Sheila Rademan, Remo Parente, Frank McLoughlin, Neil Funston, John Harvey, Carol Lenaz and Geoffrey Palmer.

Ms Gold becomes the second person to land a spot on the current council through a countback after Cr Emmerick Teissel replaced former mayor Jenny O'Connor in March 2022.

The recently appointed executive officer of Border Trust is looking forward to the experience.

"It is a bit of a wow moment. I obviously put my hand up in the first place to represent the people of Indigo Shire because it's something that really interests me," she said.

"I believe I bring some skills that will be of value. Three years down the track, it wasn't top of mind, but I am very excited to get the opportunity, even if it is just for the one year to fulfil the role.

"I know at the time, my background was very much in the business and community sector and I've moved out of self-employment and am the executive officer for Border Trust Community Foundation.

"As a community foundation, we're a philanthropic organisation and we cover the Indigo region. I'm still very much focused in my work on business and community, leaning very much towards the community and what our not-for-profit sector does to support the most disadvantaged in our region.

"I think that's a really interesting lens to bring to a councillor role, and being able to represent some of the needs of our not-for-profits, and a voice for what they're able to achieve, and can achieve collaboratively."

Ms Gold moved from Melbourne to start a business with her partner at Dinner Plain in 2002, before relocating to Myrtleford and then Beechworth, where she has lived for the best part of a decade.

She said will draw on the wisdom of her fellow councillors to get up to speed.

"I've got a position for 12 months, and I don't know what can be achieved in that time, but I think that's something I'm pretty excited about exploring, and, in whatever way I can, contributing to," she said.

"I'm hopeful that with the little time that I've got before the next election that there's some value that I, with the rest of the councillors, can contribute.

"I have recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. I'm hopeful that some of the good governance practices that I've learned from that course will be very helpful falling into the good governance practices of council.

"I think the issues that were really prevalent in the community three years ago, I don't think have gone away, but we've moved on them. We've had new challenges, and some areas are less topical than others.

"I think across the board, business and community are doing it tough in a lot of ways, but it's not all doom and gloom. There's some really good things happening as well.

"I think that's a really important balancing act as a councillor that it's not just the loud voices or the majority that are heard.

"We've got some balanced representation, but I think you end up with much wiser decisions when people are able to speak with different perspectives. I think I bring a strength in being able to do that."

The next Indigo Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 29.

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