Laurie Maher

Laurence Joseph "Laurie" Maher is the former mayor of Gosford City Council[2] and the former CEO of Coast Shelter, a non-profit homelessness service assisting people in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.

Laurie Maher

OAM
Mayor of Gosford
In office
2007 – 24 September 2012
Succeeded byLawrie McKinna
Personal details
NationalityAustralian
Political partyCentral Coast First[1]

Maher founded the organisation in 1992 and held the position of CEO until his retirement in July 2018. He served as the Mayor of Gosford, serving four terms. Maher was first elected to Council in 2004, elected as Mayor in 2007.[3] Maher retired as mayor in 2012.[2] In 2009, Maher was presented with an Award for Services to the Aboriginal Community by the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council.[4] In 2010 Maher was awarded with Order of Australia Award for his service to the community of Gosford through social welfare and local government organisations.[3][5] He has also been the recipient of the NSW Community Service Award.[3]

Mayor of Gosford

In 2011, Maher agreed to a proposed merger of Gosford and Wyong councils, stating the councils would become more effective in dealing with the needs of the regions as a single operation.[6]

Historical Sex Offences

Following a series of complaints made to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Strikeforce Eckersly was established by the Nepean Police Area Command towards the end of 2016. On the 20th of April 2020, it was announced that a 9th man had been charged with historical sex offences with the Newcastle Herald stating "Strike force investigators issued a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) for the offences of four counts of buggery, three counts of indecent assault on male, and six counts of sexual assault knowing no consent given to an 81-year-old man on Thursday 5 March 2020." [7] Laurie Maher was named the following day by NBN news as the ninth person to face court over allegedly misconduct committed at Mt Penang Training School. The alleged offences took place between 1977 and 1988.[8]

A spokesperson from Coast Shelter stated that "allegations predate Maher’s involvement with the charity and is no longer an employee."

See also

References
  1. "Central Coast Business Review - Regional industrial, retail, property and tourism news". Central Coast Business Review.
  2. "Gosford Mayor prepares to retire." ABC News. 25 June 2012. Accessed 27 July 2016.
  3. "MAHER, Laurence Joseph." www.itsanhonour.gov.au. Accessed 27 July 2016.
  4. Darkinjung News Vol. 1, Issue 3. September 2009. Accessed 27 July 2016.
  5. "Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division." www.gg.gov.au. 2010. Accessed 27 July 2016.
  6. "Coast is clear for merger". News.com.au. 29 May 2011.
  7. Newcastle Herald https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6727954/central-coast-man-to-face-court-over-alleged-historical-sex-offences/. Retrieved 21 April 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. "Laurie Maher Charged with Historical Sex Offences". NBN News. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.


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