Mark Irwin: New WALGA president vows to be ‘stronger’ voice for local government and denies political ambition

Newly elected Western Australian Local Government Association president Mark Irwin has vowed to be a “stronger voice” for WA’s 139 councils, but downplayed any major change to the association’s direction. Mr Irwin was elected WALGA president on Wednesday afternoon at its State Council meeting, succeeding Shire of Morawa president Karen Chappel, who had served the maximum two terms in the role since being appointed in 2022. Shire of Northam president Chris Antonio was elected WALGA deputy president. Mr Irwin has served as mayor of the City of Stirling, WA’s largest local government by population, since 2017, a role he will continue alongside the presidency, stating he is “confident” he can manage both. As head of the peak industry body representing all of WA’s local governments, Irwin said he wants to build on the work Cr Chappel and her deputy, Paul Kelly, have done, rather than make sweeping overhauls. “I didn’t run on a campaign of change. I ran on working on the incredible work WALGA has been doing,” Mr Irwin said. “(Cr Chappel and Cr Kelly) have championed the sector when it needed to be championed, and they’ve built a fantastic relationship with the State Government. “We want to continue to build on that for the future, and we want to bring our own flavour to it. “We want to bring a stronger voice to make sure we advocate for our community expectations.” With voter turnout in local government elections consistently low, dipping to just 29.7 per cent in 2025, and calls to make voting compulsory growing, Irwin said he does not have a fixed view on the issue, but admits change could be on the way. “There’s been a long period of reform in local government,” he said. “The end isn’t in sight yet. We want constructive, transparent engagement with the State council on this. “There’s pros and cons for compulsory voting. I don’t necessarily have a personal view on that, but we want the engagement piece to ensure that the voices are heard.” Mr Irwin’s election comes as the sector faces increased scrutiny, with State-appointed monitors now being deployed to oversee governance in several councils across WA, including Port Hedland, Nedlands, South Perth, and the City of Perth. Despite these four appointments occurring within the first two months since reforms came into effect, enabling State oversight, Mr Irwin told the media on Thursday morning, in his first press conference as president, that he did not see the monitors as a hindrance to councils. “The reality is, our communities don’t want dysfunctional local government, neither does the State Government, neither does WALGA,” he said. “State Government is extremely supportive of local government ... (The monitors are) about assisting those local governments,” he said. “When we see one of those media stories about a monitor getting appointed to a single local government, we forget about the 100 other photos that could be in there of a State Government minister or representative standing by one of our elected members in the regions, delivering fantastic infrastructure projects.” Despite speculation about potential higher political ambitions, Mr Irwin ruled out a move to Parliament and said part of his success in being elected WALGA president stemmed from building relationships across party lines, with nine State MPs and four Federal MPs representing his council area. “I’ve made it very clear at all times, my role in local government and my role here at WALGA is not politically motivated,” he said. “I’ll put it on the record. I will not be a State member of Parliament or a Federal member of Parliament. “Although I might be seen sometimes as Liberal leaning, my relationship with the State Government is as strong as anyone’s and with Federal Government, as strong as anyone’s.” Mr Irwin was first elected as a City of Stirling councillor in 2015 and has previously served as president of Surf Life Saving WA. City of Stirling CEO Stevan Rodic congratulated Mr Irwin on his election, describing it as a “fantastic result for the sector.” “Mark will be an effective advocate for the local government sector and a strong voice for communities right across WA,” Mr Rodic said. “He’s made a big impact at Stirling because he genuinely cares about the community and he’s not afraid to speak up on their behalf and challenge the status quo. “I’ve seen his leadership style first-hand and he’s great at bringing people together and explaining things in a common-sense way to get the right outcome.” Irwin and his deputy, Mr Antonio, are set to remain in their roles for at least two years, with the next election scheduled for the first State council meeting in 2028.