October 17, 2024 • 15 mins
Mayor Sue Moore has been in Singleton Council for 25 years, and she's just been re-elected for another term.
The desire to make Singleton the jewel of the Upper Hunter, still burns fiercely in this local government warrior!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Iheartaber Hunter.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hello, I'm Darren KATRUPI. When it comes to community leaders,
there isn't anyone more popular in this neck of the
Wards than Singleton Mayor Sue Moore. At the recent council election,
she won every booth except one and was easily returned
to the top job for another four years. That farmer
from Elderly has already held the role for the past
(00:25):
twelve years and has been on Singleton Council for a
total of twenty five. On top of this, she also
takes a leaders the chair of the Hunter Joint Organization
of Councils and is a member of the Country Mayor's Association.
Sue was presented with an Elected Representative Prize for Regional
Councils at the Women's Local Government Awards a few months
(00:47):
ago as well. After a quarter of a century as
a councilor, you have to wonder how Sumoor got involved
in local politics in the first place. She says, it
all started at the old library on job.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Taking my kids there to do assignments, and got interested
in looking through the council business papers and the minutes
and finding out what was happening at council. So that
was the first thing that got my interest in local
government and counsel as to what was happening in our community.
And then our youngest daughter was just starting high school
(01:22):
and I wasn't needed for reading groups and all those
sort of things that parents go in for when they
have time to do that and not having to work.
It was a local interest which was a super dump
and which was a proposal to bring Sydney's waste to
(01:43):
Sydney from muscle Brook area and put in a open
cup mind void. So I took an interest in that
and my thoughts were somebody has to do something, so
I put my name down and was very blown away,
if you like, to top the pole in my ward
(02:04):
at the time. So that was the start of my journey.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
It was all about rubbish. Hasn't been a rubbish experience
over the last twenty five years.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
No, well, no it hasn't been, you know. Interestingly, Counsel
gave their support for that proposal, but when it came
to the Minister to approve it, he actually refused it.
So that was an interesting scenario. But it was a
really interesting debate at the time and had the community
quite upset and I genuinely find that having seen a
(02:37):
lot of counselors come and go. Some obviously get on
council a long time, and others get on council and
find that it's not really what they thought it was,
and they do one term and don't stand again sort
of thing. But I've been very fortunate to had the
community support for as long as I have, and I
(02:59):
look forward to continuing to do that. So it's certainly
been a world when someone said to me once to
get into local government and change your life.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And there's no shorter story than that.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Especially those are phone calls from angry rate pays at
two o'clock in the morning you've told me about in
the past.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yes, yes, we did resolve that one, Thank goodness.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
How has it changed over those twenty five years. Is
it still the same sort of job or are things
like social media made it just that much different.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Social media comes into play. Obviously, we try to keep
at arm's length from social media and simply work within
the platforms that they use, although they try to get
people to engage through alms rather than social media, because
social media just turns into a dogfight. Often productive answers
(03:55):
or suggestions or path forward as to how to resolve
people issues and just turns into a slanging match. So
there are good ways, proper ways of putting forward questions
and getting results, and will continue to encourage people to
contact me directly or any other counselor. Likewise, people have
(04:17):
their preference for a counselor particular counselor. We don't have
the wards any longer that people would approach a counselor
that's in their ward. But any counselor will be able
to answer your questions or get an answer for your questions.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
And at the end of the day, is that I
suppose the part of the job you enjoy the most,
that you actually get to help people through a problem,
and ultimately I suppose try and solve it or resolve
it one way or the other.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I very much enjoy being able to either resolve it
or whether it's get somebody to ring them. Sometimes it's
not a simple thing. Sometimes it's a longer hall. Sometimes
I don't get the results I want, but I enjoy trying,
and it's challenging sometimes to try and work through people's problems.
(05:11):
And the simple the pothole or the road that needs
fixed are probably the things that I hear most often
everyone wants some more tar on their own bit of
extra tar.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
People in the rural areas.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
That's all they see that they get for their rates money.
But then of course we've got the things in town
that we have to balance that with and the things
that people ask for through our community strategic Plan.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
And you know, of course always always.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Extra requests like extra waste services and extra footpath, cycle
ways and sporting venues, all sorts of things that people's
particular interest.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
How have you seen Singleton change in the twenty five
years you have been on council, lot.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Of changes with the main Street obviously, which was the
resources for region money. We saw lots of good things
come out of the resources for region money. Our population
has grown, obviously, the community spirit remains the same. We
have a very strong community spirit in Singleton. We have
a lot of service clubs all working for the community
(06:22):
in various aspects and they all work brilliantly together, likewise
with the staff a council also engaging with the community
groups to actually arrive at better outcomes for the Singleton
community as a whole.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
No better example of that than the Greater bus crash tragedy.
The way the community all came together and worked, like
you said, was well, certainly from a public perspective, scene
fairly seamless.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah. True.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
It was a horrible time for Singleton and it remains
that so minds, it's not far from a lot of
people's minds.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Is that the biggest hardest challenge you've had in your
time in Singleton as the mayor?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Youah go to be up there with one of the
toughest Yeah, yes, yeah, no, don't really want to talk
too much about that, Darren. I know people are probably interested,
but it's still very hurtful for a lot of people.
And I'm probably no different than others, and we're just, yeah,
(07:32):
trying to heal quietly.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Still to come. Being the mayor of a big town
like Singleton comes with many challenges, some unforeseen, and Sue
Moore's vision for the future.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I heart aper Hunter, I heart aber Hunter.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Welcome back. I'm Darren Katrubi talking with Singleton Sue More,
who recently clocked over a quarter of a century in
local government. A new little counsel will steer Singleton for
the next four years. Sue More expects some spirited public
debate during this term.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
The first thing we need to do is as soon
as possible, as quickly possible, get it up and running
as a team, because obviously we achieve more as a team.
We can respect each other's opinions and thoughts and ideas,
but you don't progress anywhere or just one person's idea.
You have to have team members to actually progress these ideas.
(08:35):
One person's opinion doesn't change anything, and that's why working
together as a team is so essential to achieve better
outcomes for everyone.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
The big I suppose issues moving forward the bypass is happening.
I suppose residents and businesses, the community in general. Do
you think they really understand what sort of impact that's
going to have the Singleton community yet or do you
think it'll be a case of once it happens, then
suddenly everyone will be like pah.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Look, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
When I was mayor in two thousand and nine, we
first start talking about it because Chamber of Commerce at
the time had come to council and said we need
people won't stop because they can't get back off onto
the traffic flow. So you know, we need to bypass
so that those that want to come into town can
come into town, and those that want to keep going
(09:29):
can keep going, and then those that do come into
town can easily get access back to keep going on.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Their trip, whether it be north or south.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's why the full interchange at the Puddy Road intersection
was so essential, so that people can access that main
street as easy as possible without having to still work
their way through George Street, Kelso Street, Campbell Street, wherever
you had to come from at the currently to get
(10:01):
to John Street. So extra fifty million dollars it was
added to the cost, and that was as a result
of our advocacy. So great outcome there. I think there'll
still be big that will suffer, and I guess the
same as when the main street was redone, there was
(10:21):
businesses that had to rethink their business, rethink where they
was situated in the main street, whether they needed to
remarket themselves in a different way. So I'm assuming that
that will happen and no different than it has previously
with changes that we've seen.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I spoke with the new Muscle Brook mayor, Jeff Drayton,
and he says that now is the time to actually
start seeing or getting things to happen, especially with state
and federal governments when it comes to this transition that
there's been a lot of talk but no sort of
(10:59):
great commitments from those higher levels of government and council
can only do so much when it comes to these
things that have to be approved further up the food chain,
so to speak, in Macquarie Street and down in Canberra.
Is that sort of one of the biggest challenges we
sort of face, not just in Musclebrook, but obviously the
(11:23):
whole Upper Hunter sort of area, which Singleton is obviously
the biggest center and certainly has its fair share of
these minds that are affected.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Absolutely, and it's been part of our advocacy for probably
at least the last three years. It's also part of
the advocacy of the Hunter Joint Organization of Councils because
not only do the mines in single and Muscle Brook
provide employment for the muscle Book, people come from everywhere
in the Lower Hunter to work in these mines. So
(11:56):
the area is the council areas in the lower area
see that. It's not just a signal and a muscle
book problem, it's a whole of the Hunter problem. So
planning for what these mind sights can be when they're
no longer mind sights is absolutely essential for the whole
of the hunter to be able to create these these
lands as what I like to refer as as our
(12:20):
new employment lands and whatever that looks like. Obviously it's
beyond counsel's ability, but we do need to have a
seat at the table to be able to put forward
what our community Given that we Jeff and I work
in the area and live in the area and know
what our communities are saying and telling us.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Would you agree that things need to sort of move
a bit quicker than they have. I know you gave
evidence at the recent inquiry into post mining lands. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Look, it's very challenging and when you actually understand the
legislative changels that are required first off to get access
to the buffer zones and then to be able to
work with the mind plans so that they can leave
those mines in a state for current day, maybe not
(13:15):
what their approval permitted, but their current day.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
And now other words, look at all the.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Mind sights and work out what's the future use of
that land and how does that land need to be
left for that future use which may not be planting
trees and grass as their approval allowed. For that's what's
absolutely essential getting this birdseye piece of work done so
that we can work what those mines can be when
(13:44):
they have finished their use. Getting access to that land
is obviously challenging. Course, they're all still activities as long
as the mines continue to use them.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And then of.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Course as they start to close down their mind closure
plans are being enacted behind them as they start to
close off relevant areas. But it's important that we have
a look at them now because for example, there's no
use planting trees or on an area that might be
suitable for wind turbines, and those trees simply need to
(14:21):
be removed. So the resources that are being put into
planning those trees, for example, might be more better used
for leaving it in a better form so that wind
turbines can be planted.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I'm just giving that as an example. Of course, what is.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
It that keeps some more going in the role as
mayor as this is your fourth term in counting.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It keeps me going. Community.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
We've got pretty amazing community in single and and I
just want to continue to help the community, help people
with their where there are issues at Council. As long
as my family's happy for me to allocate that time,
I'm happy to do that and thoroughly appreciate the support
(15:07):
I've been given to allow me to do that for
another four years.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
And are there more years after that or is that
just a stupid question.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
We'll do four years at a time.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
That's a wrap for this episode, thanks to the new
South Wales government. I'm Darren KATRUVII. See you next time.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
iHeart Alpha Hunter.
Iheartaber Hunter.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hello, I'm Darren KATRUPI. When it comes to community leaders,
there isn't anyone more popular in this neck of the
Wards than Singleton Mayor Sue Moore. At the recent council election,
she won every booth except one and was easily returned
to the top job for another four years. That farmer
from Elderly has already held the role for the past
(00:25):
twelve years and has been on Singleton Council for a
total of twenty five. On top of this, she also
takes a leaders the chair of the Hunter Joint Organization
of Councils and is a member of the Country Mayor's Association.
Sue was presented with an Elected Representative Prize for Regional
Councils at the Women's Local Government Awards a few months
(00:47):
ago as well. After a quarter of a century as
a councilor, you have to wonder how Sumoor got involved
in local politics in the first place. She says, it
all started at the old library on job.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Taking my kids there to do assignments, and got interested
in looking through the council business papers and the minutes
and finding out what was happening at council. So that
was the first thing that got my interest in local
government and counsel as to what was happening in our community.
And then our youngest daughter was just starting high school
(01:22):
and I wasn't needed for reading groups and all those
sort of things that parents go in for when they
have time to do that and not having to work.
It was a local interest which was a super dump
and which was a proposal to bring Sydney's waste to
(01:43):
Sydney from muscle Brook area and put in a open
cup mind void. So I took an interest in that
and my thoughts were somebody has to do something, so
I put my name down and was very blown away,
if you like, to top the pole in my ward
(02:04):
at the time. So that was the start of my journey.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
It was all about rubbish. Hasn't been a rubbish experience
over the last twenty five years.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
No, well, no it hasn't been, you know. Interestingly, Counsel
gave their support for that proposal, but when it came
to the Minister to approve it, he actually refused it.
So that was an interesting scenario. But it was a
really interesting debate at the time and had the community
quite upset and I genuinely find that having seen a
(02:37):
lot of counselors come and go. Some obviously get on
council a long time, and others get on council and
find that it's not really what they thought it was,
and they do one term and don't stand again sort
of thing. But I've been very fortunate to had the
community support for as long as I have, and I
(02:59):
look forward to continuing to do that. So it's certainly
been a world when someone said to me once to
get into local government and change your life.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And there's no shorter story than that.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Especially those are phone calls from angry rate pays at
two o'clock in the morning you've told me about in
the past.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yes, yes, we did resolve that one, Thank goodness.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
How has it changed over those twenty five years. Is
it still the same sort of job or are things
like social media made it just that much different.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Social media comes into play. Obviously, we try to keep
at arm's length from social media and simply work within
the platforms that they use, although they try to get
people to engage through alms rather than social media, because
social media just turns into a dogfight. Often productive answers
(03:55):
or suggestions or path forward as to how to resolve
people issues and just turns into a slanging match. So
there are good ways, proper ways of putting forward questions
and getting results, and will continue to encourage people to
contact me directly or any other counselor. Likewise, people have
(04:17):
their preference for a counselor particular counselor. We don't have
the wards any longer that people would approach a counselor
that's in their ward. But any counselor will be able
to answer your questions or get an answer for your questions.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
And at the end of the day, is that I
suppose the part of the job you enjoy the most,
that you actually get to help people through a problem,
and ultimately I suppose try and solve it or resolve
it one way or the other.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I very much enjoy being able to either resolve it
or whether it's get somebody to ring them. Sometimes it's
not a simple thing. Sometimes it's a longer hall. Sometimes
I don't get the results I want, but I enjoy trying,
and it's challenging sometimes to try and work through people's problems.
(05:11):
And the simple the pothole or the road that needs
fixed are probably the things that I hear most often
everyone wants some more tar on their own bit of
extra tar.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
People in the rural areas.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
That's all they see that they get for their rates money.
But then of course we've got the things in town
that we have to balance that with and the things
that people ask for through our community strategic Plan.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
And you know, of course always always.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Extra requests like extra waste services and extra footpath, cycle
ways and sporting venues, all sorts of things that people's
particular interest.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
How have you seen Singleton change in the twenty five
years you have been on council, lot.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Of changes with the main Street obviously, which was the
resources for region money. We saw lots of good things
come out of the resources for region money. Our population
has grown, obviously, the community spirit remains the same. We
have a very strong community spirit in Singleton. We have
a lot of service clubs all working for the community
(06:22):
in various aspects and they all work brilliantly together, likewise
with the staff a council also engaging with the community
groups to actually arrive at better outcomes for the Singleton
community as a whole.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
No better example of that than the Greater bus crash tragedy.
The way the community all came together and worked, like
you said, was well, certainly from a public perspective, scene
fairly seamless.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah. True.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
It was a horrible time for Singleton and it remains
that so minds, it's not far from a lot of
people's minds.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Is that the biggest hardest challenge you've had in your
time in Singleton as the mayor?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Youah go to be up there with one of the
toughest Yeah, yes, yeah, no, don't really want to talk
too much about that, Darren. I know people are probably interested,
but it's still very hurtful for a lot of people.
And I'm probably no different than others, and we're just, yeah,
(07:32):
trying to heal quietly.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Still to come. Being the mayor of a big town
like Singleton comes with many challenges, some unforeseen, and Sue
Moore's vision for the future.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I heart aper Hunter, I heart aber Hunter.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Welcome back. I'm Darren Katrubi talking with Singleton Sue More,
who recently clocked over a quarter of a century in
local government. A new little counsel will steer Singleton for
the next four years. Sue More expects some spirited public
debate during this term.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
The first thing we need to do is as soon
as possible, as quickly possible, get it up and running
as a team, because obviously we achieve more as a team.
We can respect each other's opinions and thoughts and ideas,
but you don't progress anywhere or just one person's idea.
You have to have team members to actually progress these ideas.
(08:35):
One person's opinion doesn't change anything, and that's why working
together as a team is so essential to achieve better
outcomes for everyone.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
The big I suppose issues moving forward the bypass is happening.
I suppose residents and businesses, the community in general. Do
you think they really understand what sort of impact that's
going to have the Singleton community yet or do you
think it'll be a case of once it happens, then
suddenly everyone will be like pah.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Look, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
When I was mayor in two thousand and nine, we
first start talking about it because Chamber of Commerce at
the time had come to council and said we need
people won't stop because they can't get back off onto
the traffic flow. So you know, we need to bypass
so that those that want to come into town can
come into town, and those that want to keep going
(09:29):
can keep going, and then those that do come into
town can easily get access back to keep going on.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Their trip, whether it be north or south.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's why the full interchange at the Puddy Road intersection
was so essential, so that people can access that main
street as easy as possible without having to still work
their way through George Street, Kelso Street, Campbell Street, wherever
you had to come from at the currently to get
(10:01):
to John Street. So extra fifty million dollars it was
added to the cost, and that was as a result
of our advocacy. So great outcome there. I think there'll
still be big that will suffer, and I guess the
same as when the main street was redone, there was
(10:21):
businesses that had to rethink their business, rethink where they
was situated in the main street, whether they needed to
remarket themselves in a different way. So I'm assuming that
that will happen and no different than it has previously
with changes that we've seen.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I spoke with the new Muscle Brook mayor, Jeff Drayton,
and he says that now is the time to actually
start seeing or getting things to happen, especially with state
and federal governments when it comes to this transition that
there's been a lot of talk but no sort of
(10:59):
great commitments from those higher levels of government and council
can only do so much when it comes to these
things that have to be approved further up the food chain,
so to speak, in Macquarie Street and down in Canberra.
Is that sort of one of the biggest challenges we
sort of face, not just in Musclebrook, but obviously the
(11:23):
whole Upper Hunter sort of area, which Singleton is obviously
the biggest center and certainly has its fair share of
these minds that are affected.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Absolutely, and it's been part of our advocacy for probably
at least the last three years. It's also part of
the advocacy of the Hunter Joint Organization of Councils because
not only do the mines in single and Muscle Brook
provide employment for the muscle Book, people come from everywhere
in the Lower Hunter to work in these mines. So
(11:56):
the area is the council areas in the lower area
see that. It's not just a signal and a muscle
book problem, it's a whole of the Hunter problem. So
planning for what these mind sights can be when they're
no longer mind sights is absolutely essential for the whole
of the hunter to be able to create these these
lands as what I like to refer as as our
(12:20):
new employment lands and whatever that looks like. Obviously it's
beyond counsel's ability, but we do need to have a
seat at the table to be able to put forward
what our community Given that we Jeff and I work
in the area and live in the area and know
what our communities are saying and telling us.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Would you agree that things need to sort of move
a bit quicker than they have. I know you gave
evidence at the recent inquiry into post mining lands. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Look, it's very challenging and when you actually understand the
legislative changels that are required first off to get access
to the buffer zones and then to be able to
work with the mind plans so that they can leave
those mines in a state for current day, maybe not
(13:15):
what their approval permitted, but their current day.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
And now other words, look at all the.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Mind sights and work out what's the future use of
that land and how does that land need to be
left for that future use which may not be planting
trees and grass as their approval allowed. For that's what's
absolutely essential getting this birdseye piece of work done so
that we can work what those mines can be when
(13:44):
they have finished their use. Getting access to that land
is obviously challenging. Course, they're all still activities as long
as the mines continue to use them.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And then of.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Course as they start to close down their mind closure
plans are being enacted behind them as they start to
close off relevant areas. But it's important that we have
a look at them now because for example, there's no
use planting trees or on an area that might be
suitable for wind turbines, and those trees simply need to
(14:21):
be removed. So the resources that are being put into
planning those trees, for example, might be more better used
for leaving it in a better form so that wind
turbines can be planted.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I'm just giving that as an example. Of course, what is.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
It that keeps some more going in the role as
mayor as this is your fourth term in counting.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It keeps me going. Community.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
We've got pretty amazing community in single and and I
just want to continue to help the community, help people
with their where there are issues at Council. As long
as my family's happy for me to allocate that time,
I'm happy to do that and thoroughly appreciate the support
(15:07):
I've been given to allow me to do that for
another four years.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
And are there more years after that or is that
just a stupid question.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
We'll do four years at a time.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
That's a wrap for this episode, thanks to the new
South Wales government. I'm Darren KATRUVII. See you next time.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
iHeart Alpha Hunter.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!