WALGA State Council is the decision making representative body of all Member Local Governments, and is responsible for sector-wide policy making and strategic planning.
State Council Structure
- Chaired by the WALGA President
- 24 Members (State Councillors) - 12 from Country constituencies and 12 from Metropolitan constituencies
- Members must be a serving Elected Member in a WA Local Government
- State Councillors are elected by and from the Zones
| Zone | Member |
|---|---|
| WALGA President | President Cr Karen Chappel AM JP, Shire of Morawa |
| Avon-Midland Country Zone | President Chris Antonio, Shire of Northam |
| Central Country Zone | President Cr Phil Blight, Shire of Wagin |
| Central Metropolitan Zone | Cr Paul Kelly (WALGA Deputy President), Town of Claremont Cr Helen Sadler, Town of Cottesloe |
| East Metropolitan Zone | President Paige McNeil, Shire of Mundaring Cr Cate McCullough, City of Swan |
| Gascoyne Country Zone | President Matthew Niikkula, Shire of Exmouth |
| Goldfields Esperance Country Zone | President Cr Laurene Bonza, Shire of Dundas |
| Great Eastern Country Zone | Cr Stephen Strange, Shire of Bruce Rock |
| Great Southern Country Zone | Cr Scott Crosby, Shire of Kent |
| Kimberley Country Zone | President Chris Mitchell JP, Shire of Broome |
| Murchison Country Zone | President Cr Les Price, Shire of Cue |
| Northern Country Zone | President Cr Liz Sudlow, Shire of Northampton |
| North Metropolitan Zone | Cr Lewis Hutton, City of Joondalup Mayor Mark Irwin, City of Stirling Cr Eman Seif, City of Wanneroo |
| Peel Country Zone | President Cr Mike Walmsley, Shire of Waroona |
| Pilbara Country Zone | President Audra Smith, Shire of Ashburton |
| South East Metropolitan Zone | Mayor Patrick Hall, City of Canning Mayor Terresa Lynes, City of Gosnells |
| South Metropolitan Zone | Cr Karen Wheatland, City of Melville |
| South West Country Zone | President Cr Donelle Buegge, Shire of Manjimup |
| Ex Officio Members | Local Government Professionals WA State President, Mr Scott Wildgoose |
Lord Mayor, City of Perth, Bruce Reynolds |
State Council Meeting Dates
State Council has five Ordinary Meetings per calendar year. Meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of the month in March, May, July, September and December.
State Council meetings will normally occur at the WALGA offices at ONE70, 170 Railway Parade in West Leederville.
The May and September meetings are Regional meetings, hosted by a Metropolitan or Country Zone respectively.
2026
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 4 March 2026 | WALGA, ONE70, 170 Railway Parade, West Leederville |
| Wednesday, 6 May 2026 | Regional meeting |
| Wednesday, 1 July 2026 | WALGA, ONE70, 170 Railway Parade, West Leederville |
| Thursday-Friday 3-4 September 2026 | Regional meeting |
| Wednesday, 2 December 2026 | WALGA, ONE70, 170 Railway Parade, West Leederville |
Policy Teams and Committees
Each State Councillor is appointed to one of the Policy Teams or the Finance & Services Committee. All delegated Committees include at least one State Councillor from each of the constituencies.
Current as of 3 December 2025
President Cr Les Price, Murchison Country Zone
Mayor Terresa Lynes, South East Metropolitan Zone
Cr Karen Wheatland, South Metropolitan Zone
President Cr Mike Walmsley, Peel Country Zone
Cr Cate McCullough, East Metropolitan Zone
Mayor Patrick Hall, South East Metropolitan Zone
Cr Scott Crosby, Great Southern Country Zone
President Paige McNeil, East Metropolitan Zone
President Chris Mitchell JP, Kimberley Country Zone
Mayor Mark Irwin, North Metropolitan Zone
Cr Stephen Strange, Great Eastern Country Zone
President Cr Laurene Bonza, Goldfields-Esperance Country Zone
Cr Helen Sadler, Central Metropolitan Zone
President Matthew Niikkula, Gascoyne Country Zone
Cr Lewis Hutton, North Metropolitan Zone
President Cr Phillip Blight, Central Country Zone
President Audra Smith, Pilbara Country Zone
Cr Robert Schmidt, South Metropolitan Zone
President Cr Donelle Buegge, South West Country Zone
Cr Barry Winmar, South Metropolitan Zone
President Cr Karen Chappel AM JP, WALGA President (Chair)
Cr Paul Kelly, Central Metropolitan Zone
President Chris Antonio, Avon-Midland Country Zone
Cr Eman Seif, North Metropolitan Zone
President Cr Liz Sudlow, Northern Country Zone
Mr Colin Murphy, Independent Representative
Cr Paul Kelly, WALGA Deputy President (Chair)
Cr Les Price, Country State Councillor
Cr Eman Seif, Metropolitan State Councillor
President Audra Smith, Country State Councillor
Mayor Patrick Hall, Metropolitan State Councillor
Mr Nick Sloan, WALGA CEO
Ms Lynne Craigie OAM, Country Constituency
Ms Heather Henderson OAM, Metropolitan Constituency
Ms Laura Hunter, Department of Local Government
President Cr Karen Chappel AM JP, WALGA President (Chair)
Cr Paul Kelly, WALGA Deputy President
President Chris Antonio
Cr Robert Schmidt
President Paige McNeil
President Cr Laurene Bonza
Mr Nick Sloan, WALGA CEO
Cr Paul Kelly, WALGA Deputy President (Chair)
President Matthew Niikkula, Country State Councillor
President Cr Les Price, Country State Councillor
Mayor Terresa Lynes, Metropolitan State Councillor
Cr Karen Wheatland, Metropolitan State Councillor
Ms Stacey Hutt, Local Government Professionals WA
Ms Parul Chauhan, Independent Representative
President Cr Karen Chappel AM JP, WALGA President (Chair)
Cr Paul Kelly, WALGA Deputy President
Cr Stephen Strange, Country State Councillor
President Cr Chris Mitchell JP, Country State Councillor
Cr Barry Winmar, Metropolitan State Councillor
Cr Helen Sadler, Metropolitan State Councillor
Cr Karen Wheatland, State Councillor (Chair)
Cr Robert Schmidt, State Councillor (Deputy Chair)
President Cr Laurene Bonza, State Councillor
Cr Lewis Hutton, State Councillor
President Cr Donelle Buegge, State Councillor
Deputy Mayor, Cr Jenny Archibald (City of Fremantle), Resource Recovery Group
Deputy Mayor Cr Natasha Colliver, City of Greater Geraldton
Cr Wendy Dickinson (Shire of Harvey), Bunbury Harvey Regional Council
Cr Giorgia Johnson (City of Bayswater), Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council
Cr Liam Gobbert (City of Perth), Mindarie Regional Council
Cr Brad Wylynko (Town of Cottesloe), Western Metropolitan Regional Council
WALGA President Cr Karen Chappel AM JP (observer)
