Cr Declan Clausen

DEPUTY LORD MAYOR OF NEWCASTLE

Councillor Declan Clausen was first elected to the City of Newcastle in February 2015, and has served as the City’s Deputy Lord Mayor since September 2017. He is currently serving in his third term on Council, and represents Ward 1.

Declan is an energetic and committed local who is passionate about sustainability, equality and renewing pride in Newcastle.

In addition to serving as Deputy Lord Mayor, Declan is the Chair of the City’s Strategy and Innovation Advisory Committee; a Member of the Asset, Youth, and Liveable Cities Advisory Committees; and a Director of the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation.

As Deputy Lord Mayor, Declan’s key achievements include:

  • the construction of the 5MW Council-owned Summerhill Solar Farm and leading the City to become the first Council in NSW to use 100% renewable energy in its operations in January 2020;

  • the delivery of the City’s first fenced dog parks at North Lambton and Islington, and;

  • ensuring the City’s financial sustainability while doubling the Council’s annual capital works budget including the delivery of a COVID stimulus budget that has supported 700 additional local jobs.

Declan holds a Masters of Science (MSc) in Sustainable Urban Development with Merit from the University of Oxford (UK), a Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental) with Honours I from the University of Newcastle, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has completed the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative at Harvard University (Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School).

Outside of his role on Council, Declan is the Executive Officer at Hunter Water Corporation, and a Non-Executive Director of Active Super, a leading environmental social and governance [ESG] focused industry super fund with more than $14 Billion in funds under management.

Declan lives in Waratah with his fiance Steven and cavoodle Toby.