For most of March 2026, your (new-ish) ATSI Engagement Officer, Greg Wellington, was on the road, meeting members and speaking to various council leaders.
While Greg is based in Nowra, his role within the USU covers the entire state of NSW, which means lots and lots of travel and long, scenic drives!
Kicking off 2026 with extensive travel through Northern NSW, March was spent in the Murray & Riverina regions. Specifically, Wagga Wagga, Leeton Shire, Hay, and Narrandera.
Finding regional councils having positions like First Nations Cultural Officers and ATSI Engagement Officers was encouraging and a highlight of 2026’s travels (so far). While there are still a lot of councils that are yet to have these roles, the numbers are growing, which is wonderful to see.
While Greg’s current role, ATSI Engagement Officer is relatively new, he is not new to NSW local government or union work. A long-serving delegate at Shoalhaven City Council, Greg has worked for council for over 21 years and has been a delegate for most of that time.
A proud Wanda Wandean / Yuin man, Greg is one of the original members of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee. Outside of work, Greg does a lot of volunteer community work, including coaching youth cricket. Greg is heavily involved in local sports as Bomaderry Cricket Club President & Nowra Bomaderry Jets Rugby League Vice President.
Driving thousands of kilometres may sound like a lot already but Greg knows there’s still plenty more councils to visit, members to meet, and advocacy needed for our Indigenous members.
Getting an understanding of local politics and complexities facing our Indigenous members is an important step towards building meaningful change, so if you’d like to catch up with Greg, need culturally informed support at work, or would like to be involved in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee contact Greg on gwellington@usu.org.au or 0476 880 330. Greg’s standard workdays are Tuesday to Thursday.
