Councillors

Cr Scott Ferguson
Cr David Somervaille
Cr Allan Ewin
Cr Bruce Reynolds
Cr Michelle Pryse Jones
Cr John Newstead
Cr Craig Gosewisch

Local Government elections are usually held every four years. It is compulsory for all residents within the Council area to vote if their names appear on the electoral roll. Non-resident property owners may vote if they make application for their names to be included on a non-residential roll.

Blayney Council consists of seven Councillors who equally represent the entire Local Government Area, with the last election held on 4 December 2021. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are nominated and elected by their fellow Councillors.

Councillors are required to lodge details twice annually of Political Donations and Electoral Expenditure which are published on the Electoral Commission NSW website.

Councillors are always happy to hear from members of the community about issues of interest and concern.

Cr Scott Ferguson (Mayor)

Scott Ferguson has served on Blayney Shire Council since 1999 as a Councillor, interim Mayor in 2008 and has been elected as Mayor since 2012. Cr Ferguson and his family have made Blayney their home. As a successful local business, Ferguson Plumbing is owned and operated by Scott and his wife Michelle – a good example for aspiring business owners of what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.

Cr Ferguson is a member of the Blayney Rotary Club and Blayney Health Council.

His passion for community development and economic growth has been evident throughout the years as the towns and villages continue to thrive. His strategic leadership skills have inspired the Council body as a result, Blayney Shire Council is united and very positive.

Mobile: 0418 637 828

Email: scott.ferguson @blayney.nsw.gov.au

Cr David Somervaille (Deputy Mayor)

Cr Somervaille-modified

David lives on Newbridge Road just out of Blayney. He operates a small cattle breeding operation on Athol, which has been in the family for over 40 years. With his wife Karen they run the “Athol Gardens” function centre business and also offer boutique accommodation in “The Millhouse”, a renovated 19th century heritage listed flour mill.

Before moving permanently to Blayney, David practiced in Sydney as a corporate and finance lawyer with a large international law firm, of which he was formerly managing partner and chairman. He continues to practice as a part time senior consultant lawyer to the firm.

David serves as chairman of Council’s Financial Assistance Committee and its Floodplain Risk Management Committee, is the Councillor representative on the Audit, Risk & Business Improvement Committee and is Council’s appointee on the Western Region Planning Panel.

This is David’s third term on Council and his first as Deputy Mayor.

Mobile: 0419 803 153

Email: david.somervaille@blayney.nsw.gov.au

Cr Allan Ewin

Cr Ewin has been given the privilege of being a Blayney Shire Councillor for the past 14 years and has been given the honour to represent our Council and community again for this next term on behalf of the residents of Blayney Shire.

Cr Ewin has lived in the Shire all his life running a mixed farming beef cattle and fat lamb enterprise at Browns Creek. He is also employed by Newcrest Mining in the final production department.

Cr has always been involved in our Shire community, currently as a member of Rotary for 32 years, a member of the Blayney Health Service Health Council for 10 years, a member of the Tallwood Rural Fire Service and the Blayney A & P Association.

As Council move forward to progress and grow our wonderful Shire and Villages and continue to make this our home to raise families and grow our dreams, Cr Ewin makes himself available to assist and represent our residents and visitors over this term of Council.

Mobile: 0408 200 658

Email: allan.ewin@blayney.nsw.gov.au

Cr Bruce Reynolds

Bruce Reynolds has been involved with the Blayney Shire for more than fifty years. He was involved with the potato and sheep industries from a young age in the Millthorpe area. He even purchased his first new car in Adelaide street.

He has lived in the Shire for more than a decade with his family. He is actively involved with the local community as a volunteer as well as the many Council committees he sits on.

Bruce is also a Casual Academic for Charles Sturt University working in the areas of Financial Management, Risk Management and Marketing for agricultural students. He is also involved with the NSW Farmers as an Executive Councillor and a member of the Business Economics and Trade Committee as well as the Agricultural Science Committee.

Bruce is a passionate gardener with several acres of ornamental plants as well as an orchard, large vegetable garden and grows plenty of berries and has opened the garden to the Millthorpe Garden Ramble.

His passion is to represent the Blayney Community on Blayney Shire Council with a goal of improving facilities including footpaths, roads, bridges and developing the tourism potential of the Shire.

Mobile: 0428 613 181

Email: bruce.reynolds@blayney.nsw.gov.au

Cr Michelle Pryse Jones

Michelle joined Blayney Shire Council as a Councillor in December 2021, committed to improving the diversity of voices contributing to Blayney community’s growth and development and bringing a different perspective to Council’s decision-making.

Michelle and her husband, Angus Pryse Jones, have owned and operated Hills & Croft, a well-known local agribusiness, since 2000, and enjoy being active members of the Blayney community through business, social and youth advocacy associations.

Michelle brings corporate business and governance experience to her role as Councillor, having worked across disability, agriculture, finance and education sectors developing skills and knowledge in business management, accounting, financial management, HR, marketing, communication and administration and held positions on local and national boards. She nurtures strong networks across the local community, and values and invests in integrity, honesty, curiosity, compassion and a genuine interest in listening to, learning from and improving the lives of others.

Through her work and family life, raising two children, Michelle has developed a strong interest in developing post-school pathways for young people, advocating for their access to regional training, support and career opportunities.

In her role as Councillor, Michelle aims to support Blayney Shire Council to develop a strategic and caring way of acknowledging and addressing the inequalities and disadvantages, and bring economic, social and cultural benefit to the Blayney Shire community. Michelle has been appointed to represent Blayney Shire Council as a board member of Orange 360.

Mobile: 0427 683 751

Email: michelle.prysejones@blayney.nsw.gov.au

Cr John Newstead

Cr John Newstead was born at the Blayney District Hospital and has lived in Blayney his entire life.

As a fifth generation resident of the Blayney Shire Council area, he feels that he appreciate the needs of residents in Blayney, the Villages and all other areas within the Blayney Shire.

As an active sportsperson, he enjoys water skiing, playing squash, tennis and table tennis. In his younger days he played rugby league for both the Blayney Bears and the Carcoar Crows.

He is currently employed as a school bus driver and was previously employed at Essential Energy for 28 years.

His aim as a Councillor is to see the Blayney Shire continue to grow and prosper.

Mobile: 0468 682 037

Email: john.newstead @blayney.nsw.gov.au

Cr Craig Gosewisch

Craig has lived in the Blayney Shire for over 20 years. He was elected to Council in December 2021.
Craig currently works full time for Central Tablelands Water and also does the occasional shift behind the bar at The Royal Hotel Blayney
All of Craigs 4 children went to school in the Blayney Shire, 2 of which have now moved to study at University while the other 2 have picked up a traineeship and apprenticeship with local Blayney Shire businesses.

He has a passion for local sport and has been involved both playing and on the committees of numerous clubs in the Shire. He was recognised for this dedication with a Life Membership of the Blayney Rugby Union Club a couple of years ago,

His goal as a councillor is to represent the Shire as a whole and see it grow but also keep the that atmosphere and feel that we enjoy today.

Mobile: 0459 510 555

Email: craig.gosewisch @blayney.nsw.gov.au

Last modified: 20 Mar 2023

Councillors

Cr Michelle Pryse Jones

Cr John Newstead

Cr Craig Gosewisch

CONTACT US