Deborah is a long term resident, CBD business owner and a well-known DJ.

She is an enthusiastic supporter of all things Lismore and is passionate about our environment, our community and our local economy. She wholeheartedly supports progressive and innovative solutions to society’s challenges both locally and globally.

Deborah is running for Council with Elly Bird and Our Sustainable Future.

You can read more about OSF policies on our website at www.oursustainablefuture.org.au



What is your vision for Lismore over the next 3 years?

Personally, l would love to see our community continue to embrace and celebrate the incredible wealth of creative talent and intelligence available in this region. Forward-thinking solutions will overcome the foreseeable challenges we will all be facing. I believe we have the capability to tackle both environmental and financial obstacles together. In fact, this is the only way we can secure a prosperous outcome for the area.

Pitching one against the other is simply an outdated approach.

What are your objectives being a councillor?

Becoming a part of the Our Sustainable Future team ticks a lot of boxes for me.

I am keen to continue seeing progressive decision making and environmentally pioneering policy making at a local grassroots level at Lismore City Council. I firmly believe that consulting with our local First Nations people and working harmoniously to improve our local ecosystems is by far the best way forward into the future.

Our team can deliver this with integrity. We are balanced, independent and progressive.

What was your motivation to become a councillor?

Joining the Our Sustainable Future Team standing for Council is based on my desire to give back to the local community that has supported me, my family and my business here in central Lismore for the past several decades. I passionately appreciate the wonderfully diverse and down to earth community here in the Northern Rivers where people are sincerely valued for their individual strengths, which is vastly richer than simply judging people by their income bracket or financial standing.

I wholeheartedly support Councillor Elly Bird for her inspiring and inclusive style of leadership coupled with the ability to compromise and find pragmatic solutions with other members of Council and local leaders and stakeholders.

How does Lismore become a vibrant, prosperous city?

I already see Lismore as a vibrant city and our prosperity very much depends on how much we value what we have here.

Lismore, and the surrounding villages that make up this electorate, is full of extremely hardworking people living their dreams in a place they love. They are investing every day, putting their heart and soul into their farms, teaching jobs, small and micro businesses, creative and artistic endeavours, acting and music careers, scientific research degrees, building and construction companies, law firms, cafes, restaurants and hotels, medical careers etc. All of this amounts to this incredible, blossoming Regional area that clearly attracts people for the rich and well-balanced lifestyle on offer here.

We simply need to value, nurture and protect what we have and what is still developing here. It's important to make decisions locally that do this and ensure that we do not get bamboozled by hollow promises of financial security via business options that may come at a cost to our clean water, air, rainforests and rich arable land.

Do you hold any concerns for the region that have not been addressed?

My gravest concern is precisely what l just briefly referred to and it is something that l think we have all witnessed happening in large and small ways. The empty slogans and promises of "investors" who appear to be offering jobs with wild estimations of future prosperity to small regional towns rarely if ever eventuates.

Most often whatever "resources", be it people, gas, minerals or fertile land that are seen as being of value by the investors are used up, leaving the local community poorer and having to clean up the mess. I'm not saying that l see this as a probable future because l believe that we are fiercely protective and appreciative of our enviable place in this world and would not allow this to occur here.