For Councillor Cheryl Downing, being elected Cowra’s Deputy Mayor for the first time carries a significance stretching well beyond the Council chamber.

The appointment fulfils an ambition she has held since childhood and creates a link with a grandfather she never had the opportunity to meet, but whose own involvement in local government inspired her decades later.

Cr Downing was elected Deputy Mayor following Cowra Shire Council’s 28 September meeting, beginning her first two-year term in the position.

Council resolved that the deputy mayoral term would run until September 2028, coinciding with the next mayoral election.

“I’ve always wanted to run for Council as a little girl,” Cr Downing said.

“My pop was deputy mayor in 1962.

"He passed away, and I never met him.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I kind of wanted to do that and emulate him, and now I’ve emulated him.”

For Cr Downing, that family connection makes reaching the position particularly personal.

Reflecting on her time as a councillor, Cr Downing identified several initiatives she was particularly proud to have pursued, including funding connected with childcare, improvements to Council’s accessibility grant scheme and consultation around women’s sporting facilities.

Among those was a $10,000 grant to assist with the addition of daycare facilities.

Cr Downing said her interest in the issue had been strengthened by reporting about “childcare deserts” and the difficulties inadequate childcare can create in regional and rural communities.

She said childcare availability could be one factor affecting the ability to attract and retain professionals and families in country areas.

“I’m proud that I got that one through,” she said.

Another priority has been improving the accessibility of local businesses and community premises.

Cr Downing moved changes to Council’s Access Incentive Scheme in 2023 that sought to increase the maximum grant from $5,000 to $10,000 and remove the requirement for applicants to match the funding dollar for dollar.

Council records show the changes were subsequently incorporated into the scheme, which currently offers grants of up to $10,000 for eligible accessibility projects.

Cr Downing said the cost involved in retrofitting older buildings was an important consideration behind the push.

“It’s really expensive retrofitting,” she said.

She also pointed to increasing awareness of the funding as an important part of making the scheme more useful to the community.

The current program can contribute towards improvements including automated doors, widened doorways, access ramps, lifts, handrails, tactile indicators and accessibility signage.

Women’s sporting facilities have been another area of focus.

Cr Downing said she had been involved through the relevant committee and consultation process in advocating for women’s change facilities, with the project expected to provide facilities during 2026.

Beyond Council, Cr Downing said her experience across local schools, sporting organisations, Rotary, volunteering and businesses had shaped the way she approached representing the community.

She estimated her family had connections with about 25 schools through the sporting and committee involvement of her four sons, while Rotary activities and volunteering had provided further opportunities to meet people throughout the district.

Her experience working in local businesses had also influenced the way she viewed Council’s relationship with residents.

“Council is a really different sort of customer service business,” Cr Downing said.

“It’s about always trying to communicate and improve those skills.

As she begins her first term as Deputy Mayor, Cr Downing will serve alongside Mayor Paul Smith, with the pair holding the two leadership positions within Council.

Cr Downing acknowledged they would not necessarily approach every issue from the same perspective, but said she believed they could work constructively together.

“I don’t think we think along the same lines all of the time, but I think we’re able to sit back and consider each other’s opinion,” she said.

“I’m there to back him up and support him, and obviously I’ll support whatever the majority of the Council is saying in the room.”

Rather than viewing differences of opinion as a problem, Cr Downing said being willing to listen remained an important part of decision making.

“You can always learn and always change your mind,” she said.

For Cr Downing, the next two years will now bring a new responsibility within a Council she had once imagined being part of as a child.

From hearing about the grandfather who served as deputy mayor more than six decades ago to now holding the position herself, the September appointment represents the fulfilment of a longstanding personal ambition.