Orange is one of almost 70 councils across the state that bumped up its female representation on council at the local government elections on December 4 last year.

Jo McRae was the lone woman on council last term but as we begin the new term in 2022, Orange will have three female voices on its 12-strong council.

All first-term councillors, Tammy Greenhalgh, Frances Kinghorne and Mel McDonell have been elected to the new Orange City Council and that increase is indicative of a state-wide bump in female representation, says Cr Turley.

The proportion of women on councils across NSW has hung around 27 to 31 per cent for nearly a decade, but after the December 4 election that percentage is now almost 40 per cent.

"Councils are the closest level of government to their communities, so to ensure everyone has a voice it is important that they reflect the communities they represent," she said.

"To make such great progress in a single election is really worth celebrating."

Of the 124 councils that make up NSW, 69 now have more women on council than in previous terms.

Blayney is one of those, too, with Michelle Pryse Jones elected to that shire council. Blayney had no female representative throughout its last council term.

Cabonne Council has four women in its chamber this term. They are Kathryn O'Ryan, Marlene Nash, Libby Oldham and Jenny Weaver.

"An impressive 27 councils actually have a female majority, nearly three times the number we saw in the last council term," Cr Turley added.

Cr Turley said the result follows a focused effort to boost council diversity, with LGNSW and ALGWA offering mentoring services and a range of development programs providing practical information on leadership and the tools and techniques of successful political campaigns.

Cr Turley said another important contribution to the higher proportion of women standing for council was the introduction of superannuation for mayors and councillors, bringing them into line with the rest of the Australian workforce.

She added 2022 would be a challenging year for NSW, as councils sought to help drive a locally led recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID pandemic.

"While council can be tough, it is truly rewarding, and you are surrounded by many support bases," she said.

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