Declan Clausen marks a decade on Newcastle council with LGNSW service award

newy.com.au – City of Newcastle councillor Declan Clausen says he was “honoured” last night to receive a Local Government NSW award recognising his 10 years of service on council.

The Local Government NSW (LGNSW) service awards recognise councillors who have completed at least a decade in elected office, with framed certificates presented at the 10 and 15‑year milestones, marking long-term commitment to local communities.

Clausen was first elected to Newcastle City Council at a February 2015 by‑election, becoming the youngest candidate ever elected to the council at 22, and was re‑elected in 2017 and 2021 as a Labor representative. He went on to serve as Deputy Lord Mayor from September 2017, being re‑elected to the role several times and now serving as Alternate Deputy Lord Mayor and one of four councillors scheduled to rotate through the deputy role over the current term. City of Newcastle has described him as the city’s longest‑serving current councillor.

An environmental engineer by training, Clausen graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental) with first‑class honours in 2018, having combined full‑time work and council duties with his studies. He later completed a Master of Sustainable Urban Development at the University of Oxford and has undertaken governance and leadership training including the Australian Institute of Company Directors course and the Bloomberg Harvard Cities Leadership Initiative.

Those qualifications have underpinned Clausen’s role in Newcastle’s shift towards renewable energy. He has been closely associated with the council‑owned 5MW solar farm built on rehabilitated landfill at the Summerhill Waste Management Centre, a key part of the city’s push to power its operations from renewable sources. City of Newcastle has since become the first local government in NSW to switch its operations to 100% renewable electricity through a combination of onsite generation and power purchase agreements.

Clausen has also been a prominent voice in debates over the city’s economic transition away from coal. In 2015 he was among councillors backing Newcastle’s decision to divest from fossil fuel holdings, telling The Guardian at the time that “there are an increasing group of start‑ups in Newcastle that are looking at a clean‑tech future, we are embracing those opportunities”. Newcastle’s environmental programs, including the solar farm, helped the city secure the top honour at LGNSW’s Excellence in the Environment Awards in 2019.

Away from the council chamber, Clausen works in the water sector and holds a number of board positions. He is a board member of the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation, which notes his interest in sustainability, urban amenity and the city’s Smart City program, and has served as executive officer to the managing director at Hunter Water Corporation. In 2021 he was appointed a trustee director of Local Government Super, now Active Super, an industry superannuation fund that promotes responsible investment.

Clausen has also used his profile to advocate on equality and health issues. When Australian Red Cross Lifeblood relaxed plasma donation rules affecting LGBTQIA+ people and sex workers earlier this year, he welcomed the move and told the Newcastle Herald, “The need is real, and now that I’m eligible, I’m proud to help,” adding that donating blood and plasma “shouldn’t depend on who you love”.

In a social media post, Clausen thanked supporters and reflected on how Newcastle had changed over the past decade while highlighting council’s focus on infrastructure, sustainability, local jobs and services. He wrote that “Newcastle is still the best place in the world to live, and I am grateful every day for the chance to help shape its future”, adding that he looked forward to continuing to work with the community.

Under the current council term, Clausen is due to serve a year‑long stint as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2026 as part of a rotation agreed by councillors, while continuing to represent Ward 1.