Cr Nathan, who was overseas during the council induction last Tuesday, spoke to the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner from Europe on Friday.

Councillors attended a one-day induction last week and were due to attend two days of briefings this week to prepare for the role.

Cr Nathan, of Long Beach, is a retired pharmacist and co-owns The Original Gold Rush Colony at Mogo. She shares two addresses with French fiancé Robert Legeay.

“We agreed we would live six months of the year in Long Beach and the other six months in France,” Cr Nathan said.

She did not regard her annual stays in France as holidays and believed they would not affect her ability to commit to her council role. Cr Nathan said cutting short her recent trip to be in Moruya for the first council meeting on October 11 proved her dedication.

She said she would use video conferences if she could not be in Australia and called on people to look at past councillor attendance.

“I think they need to look at times when other councillors were on the ground and available for the past years,” Cr Nathan said.

She said she had “more time” and “more experience” than others.

“In terms of how I will handle my councillor duties: I am semi-retired with an active, part-time role behind the scenes of the Gold Rush Colony,” Cr Nathan said.

“I believe I have more time available than most people on the council because I do not have a nine-to-five job. Robert and I have discussed this at length and I will not be away from the Eurobodalla for more than six months. 

“Our biggest luxury is that we can decide how we dedicate our time. It is that luxury I am prepared to devote to the shire.”

Cr Nathan said she would receive her induction and briefing before the first council meeting.