Dolly Jensen elected Qld president of ALGWA

Gympie councillor Dolly Jensen has been voted Queensland president of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association.

The new Queensland executive committee of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (from left) Jan Clifford, Julie Wright, Fina Vasta, Edwina Farquhar, Dolly Jensen, Karen May and Natalia Willcocks.

Gympie Regional Council Deputy Mayor Dolly Jensen has been voted Queensland president of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association.

The outspoken Division 2 councillor from Theebine has never shied away from leadership, and is a former regional official of the Queensland Council of Unions, national president of FSA’s ANZ Council and a delegate to the ACTU.

She has also refused to stay silent on the imbalance of power in local government, writing in 2021:

“If you think there’s gender equality in local government, think again. It is a male dominated sector, but we women are slipping in there from time to time to keep them Frank (pardon the pun)”.

Gympie councillor Dolly Jensen with Fiona Cullen and Jo Stewart-Ratray.

This week, she said:

“Women still have a long way to go but we’re in better place than the women that started this 73 years ago (the ALGWA).

“(The) ALGWA has been lifting women up for 73 years but I fear that it will take another 73 to get close to being recognised as an equal peer ... it’s movement is glacially slow,” she said.

Mrs Jensen was elected state president at the two-day Australian Local Government Women’s Association conference at the Brisbane Airport Convention Centre, hosted by former journalist Kim Scubrus.

Delegates heard from a range of speakers on subjects including AI, decision making, leadership and strategic innovation.

LGAQ CEO Alison Smith presented statistics on women in local government, providing a comprehensive overview of the landscape in Australia today.

The new Queensland executive committee of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (from left) Jan Clifford, Julie Wright, Fina Vasta, Edwina Farquhar, Dolly Jensen, Karen May and Natalia Willcocks.

“Overall, my attendance at the Australian Local Government Women’s Association conference was a rewarding experience,” Mrs Jensen said.

“The event provided me with valuable insights, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of women in local government. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this important gathering.”

The newly elected ALGWA Queensland executive committee comprises:

President: Dolly Jensen - Deputy Mayor Gympie

Vice President: Jan Clifford - Whitsundays

Treasurer: Karen May - Mackay

Publicity: Natalia Muszkat - Deputy Mayor Gladstone

Zone 1: Fina Vasta - Burdekin

Zone 2: Julie Wright - Whitsundays

Zone 3: Edwina Farquhar - Toowoomba

Zone 4: Natalie Willcocks - Logan