ALGA President

Councillor Linda Scott

President of the Australian Local
Government Association

Councillor Linda Scott JP GAICD is an experienced Board Director, previously serving as the first female Chair of Local Government NSW and currently serving as President of the Australian Local Government Association, which represents Australia’s 537 local governments. Linda was elected unopposed as ALGA’s President in 2020, having served as Vice President since 2018 and a board member since 2017. Linda is also currently serving as a Councillor on the City of Sydney Council, formerly serving as Deputy Lord Mayor. She is the Chair of CareSuper, an award-winning industry superannuation fund, having joined the CareSuper Board in 2018.

Linda serves on a number of other boards and advisory bodies, including National Cabinet with the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers and is a member of a range of other intergovernmental Ministerial Councils.  She also sits on the National Joint Council on Closing the Gap, the Commonwealth Government’s Regional Banking Taskforce, the NSW Environmental Trust and the CSIRO’s External Advisory Group on Ending Plastic Waste.

As LGNSW President, Linda led the organisation to successfully secure more than $8 billion in local government funding, including doubling NSW local government library funding, secured superannuation for elected councillors as a means to encourage more women into elected office, and successfully advocated for fairer and more transparent electoral funding laws. As a City of Sydney Councillor, Linda has won increased City action on climate change, the creation of new affordable housing and increased support for those experiencing homelessness and living in public housing. She has successfully secured new childcare and skate ramps, spearheaded City action to fight racism and support refugees and moved to successfully establish annual gender pay parity reporting. Linda has also successfully moved for City parks and places to incorporate First Nations language usage, and for the creation of a City of Sydney Closing the Gap statement, with actions to contribute to Australia’s National Plan on Closing the Gap.

She participates in the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout and mentors emerging professionals as a University of Sydney Dalyell mentor.

With first-class honours in psychology from the University of New South Wales, Linda was a researcher prior to her time in local government. She worked at the University of Sydney and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

Linda is a regular media commentator, appearing on The Project (Network Ten), Paul Murray Live (Sky News) and previously on The Drum (ABC).  She lives in inner Sydney with her husband and two sons, and loves live music, art, bushwalking and swimming.

If you wish to get in contact with the ALGA President, Cr Linda Scott can be contacted at president@alga.asn.au