Welcome to REROC

The Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils (REROC) is a voluntary association of seven General Purpose Councils and one water county council located in the eastern Riverina region of NSW.

The members of REROC are the councils of: Bland, Coolamon, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Greater Hume, Junee, Lockhart, Temora and Goldenfields Water.

The voluntary aspect of the Organisation encompasses every project that it undertakes. Members only participate in a REROC project if they believe that it will generate positive outcomes for their council.

Local governance is never sacrificed to achieve efficiencies, member councils are not pressured to participate in a project, it is never a case of "one in - all in". The members are committed to this stance and believe it is one of the reasons that the Organisation has been so successful over a long period of time. REROC members are committed to supporting the voluntary nature of the Organisation and believe that it is one of its greatest strengths.

Background

In 1994, a number of General Purpose councils operating in the eastern Riverina region of NSW identified a need to work more closely together to achieve greater efficiencies and effectiveness; not only in service delivery but also in their ability to represent the needs of their respective communities.

As a result of those meetings twelve General Purpose councils agreed to establish the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisations of Councils (REROC). The founding members of REROC were the councils of Bland, Coolamon, Cootamundra, Gundagai, Holbrook, Junee, Lockhart, Temora, Tumbarumba, Tumut, Urana and Wagga Wagga.

Members were united in their vision for the Organisation, it was to be a forum where member councils could initiate and implement projects that harnessed the economies of scale and economies of scope that could be generated by pooling resources, staff and expertise.

Since this decision was made, Greater Hume Shire Council joined REROC as well as the two water county councils that service the REROC region, Goldenfields Water and Riverina Water. The county councils joined REROC as associate members.

In late 1996, the members reviewed the operations of REROC and recognised that if the Organisation were to achieve its full potential it would need a driver. While there was substantial goodwill in place to further projects, the Organisation's dependence on existing council staff to find time to implement complex projects across multiple councils resulted in constant delays.

The members committed to funding an Executive Officer, through an agreed annual fees structure. In 1997, this position was ultimately out-sourced to a local consultancy firm, an arrangement that finalised in 2024. Since December 2024 REROC has employed a Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Megan Mulrooney.

REROC's Governance Structure

REROC meets every second month; each council is represented by an elected person (usually the Mayor) and the General Manager.

Board Members as at 24 October, 2025 are:

  • Mayor Rick Firman OAM, Chairman, Temora Shire Council

  • Mayor Abb McAlister, Deputy Chairperson, Cootamundra Gundagai Shire Council

  • Mr Tony Donoghue PSM, Treasurer, Coolamon Shire Council

  • Mr Grant Baker, Bland Shire Council

  • Mayor Brian Monaghan, Bland Shire Council

  • Mayor David McCann, OAM, Coolamon Shire Council

  • Mr Roger Bailey, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council

  • Mr Colin Kane, Greater Hume Shire Council

  • Mayor Lea Parker, Greater Hume Shire Council

  • Mr James Davis, Junee Shire Council

  • Mayor Robert (Bob) Callow, Junee Shire Council

  • Mr Gavin Rhodes, Lockhart Shire Council

  • Mayor Peter Sharp, Lockhart Shire Council

  • Ms Melissa Boxall, Temora Shire Council

  • Mr Aaron Drenovski, Goldenfields Water County Council

  • Cr Alan White, Goldenfields Water County Council

All members have an equal vote although decisions are normally made on a consensus basis. The County Council is an associate member and therefore doesn’t pay full membership fees and consequently does not have voting rights. Meetings are also attended by a representative from the Office of Local Government, the NSW Premier’s Department and RDA - Riverina.

REROC is an Incorporated Association in NSW. It has three Officer Bearer positions, with each position elected in line with Mayoral Election Cycles and decided at the AGM. The Chairs are drawn from the elected representatives from full membership Councils.

REROC elects an Executive Committee annually at the AGM. This Committee has representation from each Council, including both Mayors and General Managers. The Committee convenes prior to Board meetings to discuss regional issues and opportunities, making recommendations to the full Board to determine future directions for the Organisation.

REROC has a number of special purpose Technical Working Groups that meet as required, including:

  • Infrastructure/Engineers' Group

  • Planning

  • REROC Waste Forum

  • Riverina Spatial Information Group

  • Planning

  • Water and Wastewater

  • Energy Management

  • Integrated Planning & Reporting (IP&R)

  • Workforce Development

  • Disaster Preparedness (currently in recess)

  • Youth & Community Development Network (currently in recess)