It’s been 26 years since Norm Brennan was first elected to local government.
He served 21 years on Conargo Shire Council before the 2016 merger with Deniliquin Council.
Cr Brennan was elected to sit on the new Edward River Council, and was selected as mayor in September, 2017.
But Cr Brennan announced yesterday his tenure would now end, saying he will not renominate for the December 4 local government elections.
He said of his decision, ‘‘you’ve got to know when it’s time to say enough is enough’’.
Incumbent councillors Peter McCrabb and Mac Wallace also announced yesterday they will not be standing.
Cr Brennan was born and raised in Melbourne, and worked in a bureaucratic role in the Victorian capital until he was 38, when he moved to the area with his family.
‘‘We’d been coming up on holidays for 10 years before the move in ‘88 and I knew it was time,’’ he said.
‘‘I’d spent 20 years in that work and it was time for a change.’’
He and his wife Linda bought the Conargo Junction Store in 1993 and ran it for 14 years.
It was during that time Cr Brennan became popular with the locals.
‘‘Some locals I got to know said, ‘you’ve been a bureaucrat in Melbourne, you should do it’ (run for council) — I put my hand up and got in.
‘‘They thought I would be the right type of person,’’ he said.
He said his working background made him naturally interested in a council role.
‘‘I’d been on a variety of committees in Melbourne, so I knew what to expect.’’
Long-time colleague Michael Todd has worked with Cr Brennan throughout his entire tenure — at both Conargo Shire and now Edward River — and said the mayor’s record in the community ‘‘speaks for itself’’.
‘‘He’s very supportive of staff and very inclusive in the decision-making process,’’ Mr Todd said.
‘‘And he’s very passionate towards his community.
‘‘(After) his years of service, he should be proud of what he’s done and enjoy his retirement.’’
Cr Brennan was always very tied to his adopted community — joining the Conargo Hall committee and the Tidy Towns project. His three children attended Deniliquin North Public School and then Deniliquin High School.
The Brennans also owned and ran the Settlement Motor Inn after selling the Conargo Store in 2007.
As councillor to a more rural local government prior to 2017, Cr Brennan said managing a merged regional-rural council has been a challenge at times, however he had the experience of a previous merger — between Conargo and Windouran councils in 2001 — in his repertoire to manage the difficulties.
‘‘You’ve got a strong urban and rural component in Edward River.
‘‘I was always trying to find the way forward and not look back,’’ he said.
Whilst always a proud Edward River councillor, Cr Brennan also noted his advocacy to maintain separate councils for Conargo and Deniliquin — which many mayors did during the early days of the merger — prior to it coming into effect.
‘‘We (Conargo Council) were the third smallest council in the state, with one of the highest satisfaction ratings.
‘‘We had a 90 plus per cent community satisfaction.
‘‘Probably the biggest achievement — thanks to the whole group of councillors — when we were disbanded back in 2016 we were debt free, had no outstanding services required, and plenty of money in the bank so we could deliver all our services,’’ he said.
But over the years the role of council became ‘‘a lot more demanding’’ due to cost shifting and other factors which have strained council services across the state.
Patience and tolerance have been the major lessons of his 26 year tenure, attributes which have allowed him to bring harmony to the new Edward River Council.
‘‘The new council has achieved a significant amount of things. I was part of a team which achieved so much.’’
Cr Brennan spent a five year term with the Edward River Council after COVID-19 delayed elections for a year.
He said it’s been a pleasure to serve with his fellow councillors and for the Conargo and Edward River communities for so many years, and he wished the incoming council all the best with continuing the work of the past.
He also thanked his wife Linda, of whom he said, ‘‘I couldn’t have done it without her’’. The pair plan to go travelling in the near future.