Graduates of Horsham Rural City Council’s Community Leadership Program celebrated the culmination of a three-month program last week.

The free program was designed to generate an engaged, proactive and diverse pool of potential candidates for the Horsham Rural City Council election.

Topics included in the program were practicing good governance; building a strong knowledge base about the business of local government; developing frameworks that contextualise their own experiences and aspirations; and enabling and influence change.

Participant Richard Natoli, who returned to live in Horsham 12 months ago after years away, completed the program but said he was not intending to stand for council at the October elections.

“The program is a great initiative by council. It’s an opportunity for participants from the local area to contribute – whether it’s as a councillor or in a leadership role within the community,” he said.

“My motivation was to actually contribute in some way – not too sure what that’s going to be moving forward, but it gives us some great exposure to governance, how to communicate and deal with council and also take a bit of pride in your community.”

Mr Natoli said he was the third generation of his family to live in Horsham, with his grandfather known as the owner of the Wonder Bar and Natoli Brothers Fruit Shop.

“It’s been about 40 years or so since I’ve been back, but the key thing is that they say you can’t take the country out of the boy, so it’s nice to be back and it’s nice to help create an awareness of where Horsham’s heading.”

Council chief executive Sunil Bhalla said the leadership program was a key recommendation of the 2023 Municipal Monitor Report and was delivered independently from council by The Victorian Local Governance Association.

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