LOCAL councillor Mekayla Cochrane broke new ground when elected to Moree Plains Shire Council in 2021.
Ms Cochrane became the first Gomeroi woman to secure a seat in chambers – and she is back on the ballot paper, ready to serve a second term.
Ms Cochrane says she wants to continue amplifying the voices of the community, especially young people. There are projects still being developed and Ms Cochrane wants to see them through.
“I want to follow through on projects that I have been a part of on my current time in Council,” Ms Cochrane said.
“We’ve really set a stable foundation over the past two-and-a-half years and I’m keen to keep building and growing the organisations that service our communities.
“With my experience as a young Aboriginal woman sitting at the table, I’ve only touched the surface of what Council can achieve, and I still have so much more to offer,” she said.
Ms Cochrane was previously employed for 12 months at local council in the community development department. Her current role at Just Reinvest NSW involves helping Aboriginal community members lower interactions with the criminal justice system and create community-led change.
“During my employment with Council, I gained a good understanding of how Council and councillors service the Moree and surrounding communities, along with all the hard work done behind the scenes,” Ms Cochrane said.
Ms Cochrane’s volunteering efforts won her a National Reconciliation Week Award in 2020.
She has lived in Moree most of her life and has family and close connections to Mungindi, Boggabilla and Toomelah.
Ms Cochrane attended Moree East Public School, St Hilda’s Boarding School at the Gold Coast and completed her education at Moree Secondary College.
She worked part-time during her high school days at Moree and also volunteered at Fairview Nursing Home.
Ms Cochrane also spent an extended period at Uluru and returned to Moree in 2018.
She is focused on better opportunities and support for young people, and wants young people to feel more included in Moree communities.
In 2021, Ms Cochrane campaigned on a platform of social justice and making change. She says the work is ongoing, and there is still much more to do across the vast Moree Plains.
“I’ve been fortunate to meet, and have ongoing relationships, with so many lovely people in the shire. I want to continue to represent their voices but also be a voice for people who don’t have one,” Ms Cochrane said.
Words: Bill Poulos
