Friday 10 February 2012
After having spent most of her working life shaping the future of her 'home region’, Tamworth Regional Council Director, Planning and Community Services, Alison McGaffin will have a broader focus with a new State Government role.
This morning Ms McGaffin will be farewelled by her council colleagues at a morning tea.
She will start work with the Department of Premier and Cabinet next month, taking on the Tamworth-based role of Regional Coordinator - Western NSW.
Tamworth Regional Council General Manager, Paul Bennett, congratulated Ms McGaffin on her new role.
'Alison has made an 'incredible contribution’ to Council and the community as a whole,’ he said. 'We look forward to working with her in further progressing this great region that we live in.’
Ms McGaffin said she has 'loved the diversity’ of her Tamworth Regional Council role.
'I am very proud of how much has been achieved over the six and a half years I have been a Council director’, she said.
'I consider it a great privilege to have had the opportunity to help shape the future of my 'home region’ as a great place for future generations to call home.’
'I see my new position with the Department of Premier and Cabinet as Regional Coordinator – Western NSW as an opportunity to continue to make a positive contribution to the future of Regional NSW.’
Ms McGaffin, who is Tamworth born and educated, started her career in Local Government at the then Tamworth City Council in 1988. She had completed an arts degree and secured a position as a Development Assistant in the Town Planning Department.
Soon after, Ms McGaffin was offered a traineeship in town planning and started external study to obtain qualifications in Urban and Regional Planning through the University of New England.
She gained extensive experience in both development and approvals and strategic planning before being seconded to undertake special projects for the General Manager, including managing the establishment of the integrated customer service centre following the move to Ray Walsh House.
In 2000, Ms McGaffin moved to the Hunter to take up the role of Manager, Approval and Regulatory Services with Maitland City Council in 2000.
Two years later she returned to Tamworth to establish and head up a regional office of the NSW Department of Planning (then known as PlanningNSW).
Tamworth Regional Council appointed Ms McGaffin to the position of Director, Environment, Planning and Economic Development in September 2005. In late 2010 and early 2011, her portfolio was expanded to include responsibility for Council’s transition to the Integrated Planning and Reporting framework (The Keychange Project) and the Cultural and Community Services Division.
'I appreciate all the opportunity that the local government sector has offered in terms of a career path,’ Ms McGaffin said.
'I highly recommend the field of town planning to anyone wanting a diverse and interesting career, whether in either the public or private sector.’