Two outstanding leaders from the City of Melville – one a senior staff member and the other the Deputy Mayor - have been honoured in the 2025 WALGA Local Government Awards announced on Saturday night.
Deputy Mayor Karen Wheatland and Manager of Cultural Services Leeann Reid both received Eminent Service Awards, a category that recognises distinguished contributions to and leadership in Local Government
Highly respected in the community, Cr Karen Wheatland was elected to the City of Melville Council in 2017 and is currently serving as Deputy Mayor. She is described as exemplifying exceptional service, unwavering dedication, and visionary leadership in the Local Government sector.
Her governance spans diverse and critical sectors, including gender equity, environmental sustainability, First Nations advocacy, and youth and community development.
Deputy Mayor Wheatland's achievements are many. The first woman employed as crew on Fremantle’s tugboats and a former professional photographer, she is National Vice President of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association, demonstrating her commitment to female empowerment and representation.
She’s a passionate champion for Reconciliation and First Nations voices, playing a pivotal role in the City’s second Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan championing stronger community connections and meaningful progress to reconciliation.
Deputy Mayor Wheatland is also helping drive environmental innovation through her role as Chair of the Resource Recovery Group (RRG) and as Chair of the Metro South Regional Development Council, Cr Wheatland has delivered strategic frameworks to grow women’s participation in sport.
Ms Reid has been in her position since 2008 and is described as working with spirit, vision, values and an empowering approach. Those attributes have seen her contribute to a very long list of successful projects including;
- The Goolugatup Lowerlands reconciliation project transforming a disused space on the waterfront in Applecross into a high value community and cultural space that celebrates its heritage both as a significant Aboriginal cultural site and historical site.
- Cultural Planning leadership a first of its kind in WA (by creating a Cultural Infrastructure Strategy as a road map for the next 20 years for the City of Melville’s investment, planning and priorities for cultural infrastructure.
- Helping build Melville’s strong reputation for high performance arts and cultural programming. For example, Melville Summer Music outdoor performances and Melville Open Studios, servicing over 150 studios and creatives, tens of thousands of residents and wider community audiences each year.
Comments attributed to City of Melville Chief Executive Office Gail Bowman: “The City is thrilled to have such dedicated staff and elected members as Leeann Reid and Councillor Karen Wheatland, and I congratulate them both on their awards that come after many years of hard work and dedication to our Melville community.
“They are setting an excellent example for others with their compassionate leadership, their creativity and their willingness to be involved in the pursuit of positive change and a better community, not just locally here in Melville but on a broader societal scale too.
“One of the City’s key focuses in its Plan for the Future 2024-2034 is on good governance and leadership and I’m really thrilled to have these two award winners exemplify that.”
Image shows Manager Cultural Services Leanne Reid third from the left with Deputy Mayor Wheatland fourth from the left at the WALGA Awards Saturday night.