Councillor Damian Ferrari will front the rural council as mayor for the next 12 months.

He was elected unopposed and will take over from the previous mayor Tanya Kehoe, who represents Mount Emu Ward, with immediate effect.

Councillors decided not to appoint a deputy mayor.

In the statutory meeting on Tuesday evening to decide the mayoral position, the Pyrenees Shire CEO Jim Nolan asked if councillors wished to elect a mayor for one or two years.

Cr Kehoe confirmed they wished the position to be for one year.

Cr Ferrari was presented with the mayoral gavel by outgoing mayor Tanya Kehoe, who was in turn presented with flowers to thank her for her service in the previous year.

Cr Ferrari, who represents Beaufort Ward said: "I am very honoured to be selected for the next 12 months."

He also thanked his predecessor Cr Kehoe, saying: "She led us very well through a very torrid time with COVID-19."

Cr Ferrari was voted in to council in a 2018 by-election, following the death of previous Beaufort Ward councillor Michael O'Connor.

Cr Ferrari is the station commander at Ararat Police Station.

All five councillors for the municipality were also sworn in during the first official council meeting since last month's local government elections.

There were no changes to the council line-up in Pyrenees Shire, with three councillors standing for their ward unopposed.

Ron Eason and David Clark did face opposition in Avoca Ward and Ercildoune Ward respectively, but both were also returned.

The general public were not allowed to attend the mayoral vote due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions but the meeting was broadcast live over YouTube (see above).

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