Councillor Loretta Baker

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads)—Congratulations to former Maitland mayor and councillor, Loretta Baker, who retired from Maitland council after 16 years of service at the recent local government elections. Loretta was first elected to council in 2008 and became the city's first female mayor in 2017, leading the city for four years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.During her time as councillor Loretta was proudly committed to the arts and the art community and was instrumental in pushing small grants towards local arts and culture groups during the pandemic. As the first female mayor of Maitland Loretta has inspired others and her decision to retire from council was to drive generational change, allowing for more diverse representation. Loretta plans to continue her lifelong work as a nurse but will always remain a passionate advocate for Maitland and it's people. My best wishes go to Loretta for her post political life.