Moree mayor Katrina Humphries calls time on 13-year term at council

BY BILL POULOS

After 13 years of expertly guiding her hometown through drought, floods and just about every other adversary imaginable, Moree mayor Katrina Humphries has decided to call time on local government and will not seek council re-election at the polls in September.

“I started with the global financial crisis and ended with a pandemic,” Cr Humphries chuckled.

She says it is about timing – and, she adds candidly, hers has been “dreadful”.

“After being elected, the first big issue was the global financial crisis, followed by drought then a couple of floods – then more drought – and now COVID is on everyone’s mind,” she said.

“But we are so lucky, and should all be so grateful, that we live in a town like Moree during these very strange and dangerous times – we are all so very, very lucky.”

It was not a surprise to see Katrina enter local government in 2008.

After all, her dad, Wallace Telford Murray, was the National Party member for Barwon for 19 years and Deputy Premier of New South Wales for five years (1988-1993).

It’s pretty obvious a fair bit rubbed off on his daughter.

Cr Humphries has juggled her mayoral role and civic commitments – she sits on several internal and external committees – with long hours running a successful small business in Moree.

She now feels it’s time to step aside and let new blood take the reins.

But, she says, there has been no regrets – the goals achieved and targets reached in the district far outweigh the disappointments.

“The biggest delight for me as a local councillor and mayor has been the Moree Plains being awarded the Special Activation Precinct and the long-awaited works on the Inland Rail project coming to fruition,” she said.

Cr Humphries said she has met people from all walks of life and all tiers of government during her time in local government, and made many lifelong friends during her tenure leading Moree Plains Shire Council.

“Mind you, I think I might’ve been removed from the odd Christmas card list along the way,” she smiled.

“The Moree Plains are vibrant and filled with wonderful people, and I feel very privileged to have been able to serve the district for so long.

“Moree will always be home but the time has come to step aside from council life. Therefore, I won’t be seeking re-election in September,” she said.

“My husband Gregg has been very, very supportive during all my years in council and the time has come to stop and smell the roses for a while.”

However, Cr Humphries says, there is still six months of hard work ahead before she hangs up the mayoral robes for the last time.

“No doubt there will be more joys and hurdles to deal with,” she said.

“Seeing the completion of Road 507 – Boomi to Mungindi – will be one such delight, along with many projects currently underway, like the redevelopment of the Olympic pool at the MAAC. That is coming along well.”

Cr Humphries thanked the people of the Moree Plains and beyond for their support and kindness over the years.

“We have not always been able to get things done perfectly, but we have tried very hard to make our community a place of which to be proud,” she said.