Wyndham City Council last night elected Councillor Shannon McGuire as Mayor for the 2026/27 term.

Cr Maria King was elected Deputy Mayor.

First-time Mayor McGuire said it was an honour to be elected.

“I am grateful for the trust my fellow Councillors have shown in me and I want to acknowledge the leadership of Cr Mia Shaw over the past 4 months as Mayor and Cr Jasmine Hill as Deputy Mayor.”

Mayor Cr McGuire said one of his key focuses would be on addressing loneliness.

"This year I want us to focus on one outcome: bringing to life what’s in our Council Plan to reduce loneliness, with one in four of our residents reporting they feel lonely. That means designing and funding our community facilities with connection as the purpose, not a happy accident. 

That’s not a finished plan. We have two years left in this term to deliver on it, and this is where my attention will be."

Cr McGuire said he would also continue to build on Council's stability, prioritising working together in the best interests of the Wyndham community.

"Over the next 12 months, I want residents to see a council that listens carefully, disagrees respectfully, and makes decisions it can explain, even when those decisions aren’t what everyone wanted."

In his acceptance speech, Mayor Cr Shannon McGuire also paid tribute to his late father.

"My father was a Councillor and Mayor of Williamstown, and he introduced me to community service through leadership on councils.

It was only after he passed away that I was told something I’d never known. Thirty-five years ago, a retirement home in Williamstown had no Christmas tree. My father organised a tree and decorations, and paid for them himself. No recognition, no reward. It took thirty-five years for that story to reach me. That’s true legacy, and it’s what we are all here for.”