Message from Councillor Nicholas Wright
Published on 14 November 2025
As the Christmas season approaches, a time for reflection and gratitude, I’ve been thinking about one of Leeton Shire’s greatest strengths: our profound capacity to welcome people and make them feel they belong.
Since its inception, Leeton has been a town built by newcomers. In the early 20th century, settlers, largely from an Anglo-Celtic background, arrived to develop our region’s agriculture. They were followed by waves of new Australians, including Italian families and other post-war migrants, who were drawn by opportunity and the chance to build a new life. Each group, and every wave since, has made a unique and enduring contribution to the fabric of our town.
This legacy of welcome continues today in countless ways. The Leeton Multicultural Support Group and Council work directly with new arrivals, helping them navigate a new home. Organisations like the Community Op Shop, Vinnies, the Salvos, and the RRT provide essential support; a hot meal, a helping hand, or a safe place to stay. Our local businesses offer crucial job opportunities and career pathways, while our real estate agents and Localise You work with NSW Health, education and police to help settle essential workers who keep our vital services running. This is Leeton at its best: a community that doesn’t just open its doors, but actively helps people walk through them.
I have been a personal beneficiary of this spirit. When I moved here eight years ago and then started my job at TAFE NSW, I was immediately welcomed. I was invited to community events and service clubs, and I found a lasting home in Rotary. Colleagues helped me find a place to live, and over time, strangers have become friends. This personal experience of inclusion is one I know is shared by many.
My role at TAFE has given me a front-row seat to the stories of our newest residents. Our English Language classes, which host students from over 30 nationalities, are filled with some of the most dedicated and resilient people I have ever met. Their journeys are a powerful reminder that building a new life is filled with both immense hope and significant challenge, often involving years of sacrifice to reunite families. It is also a story of joy and optimism, and I see so many examples of recent migrants throwing themselves wholeheartedly into civic life, creating events like Ramadan Night Markets and the Moon Festival, and paying it forward like the River of Life Church’s food bank.
Of course, our history of settlement is complex. Acknowledging this complexity is part of being a mature and honest community. A new locally produced film, Lords of the Soil, explores these very nuances through the relationships between Wiradjuri people and early European settlers in the Riverina. This screenplay by Leeton’s own Jake Speer is co-produced with Elijah Ingram and Bernard Higgins, and promises to be a thought-provoking piece of local storytelling.
As we look to the future, let’s commit to building on our successes as a diverse and accepting community. Our true heritage is undeniably multicultural. By learning from our past and continuing to welcome new contributions, we ensure Leeton remains a vibrant, strong, and compassionate place for all. That is a commitment your Council holds dear, and one we will continue to act upon.
Warm regards,
Cr Nicholas Wright