This makes QPRC “typical” for local government, in terms of the ratio of male and female staff, says general manager Peter Tegart.

Across Australia in June 2016, women comprised 46.5 percent of the total workforce, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported.

The numbers were similar within NSW, where women comprised 46.6 percent of the more than 3.8 million workforce in June 2016.

And these ratios are approximated in the state’s local government workforce, too.

In NSW, women were 46 percent of the local government workforce, as reported in the 2015 Profile of the Local Government Workforce.

The report says men tend to dominate the fields of infrastructure and engineering, at 90 percent of staff, and planning and environment operations, at 76 percent of staff.

Women, in contrast, have higher representation in corporate, human and community service operations, between 65 and 78 percent in those fields.

Mr Tegart said the reasons for the ratio of women working for QPRC were twofold.

Firstly, the established “depot culture” of regional local governments traditionally attracted more men than women, he said.

Secondly, the Australian Public Service in Canberra was a commute and had long attracted many women to its workforce, he said.

Women comprise 59 percent of the APS.

“If you research local government generally, you’ll find that we are quite a typical of regional local governments,” Mr Tegart said.

“As a sector, local government tends to struggle to attract the female gender into some parts of our organisations.”

While QPRC’s workforce has about 10 percent fewer women than the state average, Mr Tegart emphasised the council was actively and progressively attracting more women and youth to its workforce.

He pointed to the council’s Workforce Strategy, with an update due in the next few months, including a resourcing strategy, and to the council’s success in attracting women into traditionally male roles.