Vanessa is the current Mayor of Lismore.

Having served on Lismore Council for 17 years and Rous Council for 13 years, she is the most experienced candidate running this Council election.

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

I want our people and our environment to prosper in every way possible, as we navigate our fast-changing climate and economy. I want to safely drive home some of the really important things that I've helped set in motion on Council. These include making sure Council plays its role in addressing the housing crisis we face, supporting our farmers and producers to manage our highly productive farmland, improving the health of our rivers, implementing diverse water supply options to provide water security, converting waste into productive materials, building our business communities, reviving our CBD and protecting our villages so they can thrive. And like all of us, I want a solid, safe and well-maintained road network to connect us all.

One of the keys to achieving this important multifaceted vision is long term planning and the effective lobbying of state and federal government for funding. I have developed these skills over time as an experienced Councillor. I have served on Council for 16 years. I have been Mayor since earlier this year and I have worked very well with Councillors, Council staff and our new General Manager on my vision, a financial strategy and importantly, finding funds for roads.

My vision has been formed from doing what an experienced Councillor should do; listen to the community and represent their views. I have lived here for nearly 30 years, raising my sons, working in our high schools as a science teacher, studying at Southern Cross University and currently completing a Diploma of Auslan at Tafe, volunteering at RiverFM community radio and planting trees on the riverbanks with Wilsons River Landcare.

I love our community and our region and I offer to Lismore a safe pair of hands and a strong voice for the future.

What are your objectives being a councillor?

Working for 16 years as a Lismore City Councillor, and this year having the honour to serve as your Mayor, my priorities are those of the community, providing affordable housing, closing the loop on waste, ensuring water security, supporting our farmers and producers, improving farmland and river health, supporting our local businesses and attracting funds for our roads.

We need to provide affordable housing for our community. Lismore has over 500 blocks ready for houses and another 1500 in the planning stages, but at half a million dollars each, they are not affordable and not meeting our needs. I successfully appealed for Council to work with stakeholders to identify what affordable housing looks like and where it will go. We need a modern and sustainable approach to housing because our community’s housing needs are changing. An affordable housing strategy will be ready early next year.

We know rainfall patterns are changing and we need diverse water supplies including rainwater tanks on all houses. Wastewater from houses is fast becoming a necessary supply in periods of drought. 98% of fresh household water is used in the shower, toilet, garden and laundry, we need to get smart about water supply. I spearheaded the water authority shift in focus from an expensive, unnecessary dam to investigating purified recycled water. We lead NSW with plans for a purified recycled water plant in South Lismore.

Our beautiful natural environment and rural landscape is why many of us love living here. It is also part of our clean, green brand. It's our point of difference for many emerging businesses and industries.

The early market farmers, including the Italians, helped this place thrive when they arrived after the wars and brought their farming and food culture. This is an important part of our economy and definitely a strength during Covid when our weekly farmers markets continued to supply fresh food. I believe it is our future too, with a new generation of horticulturalists and food enthusiasts adding value to produce and setting up new businesses. Investing in our land, supporting our farmers and producers, protecting farmland from urban sprawl, actively supporting projects to rehydrate farmland, prevent soil loss and revegetate our riverbanks is what I have worked steadily on Council for many years, the return on this work and investment is happening and I want to continue this work.

What was your motivation to become a councillor?

I became a Councillor because I could not believe the harm that was being allowed by a hazardous and offensive industry in South Lismore. The very harmful pollution was impacting nearby homes and a primary school. I started attending Council meetings to see what could be done. Most of the Councillors were elderly men, some fell asleep during meetings and one liked to read the newspaper. I was shocked to see such a lack of engagement and knew I could do a better job of listening to the community and representing their views. After serving on the Civic Pride and Rural Residential steering committees, I was elected to Council in 2004.

The part I love best about being a Councillor is interacting with people on the street, at the pool, in the library, during a normal working day, and making decisions about important local matters like waste recycling, water supply, land release, sports facilities and budgets. The role of Mayor includes liaising with our local MPs and lobbying government ministers. I thoroughly enjoy this and realise how much my years of experience on Council serves me in this role.

How does Lismore become a vibrant, prosperous city?

Lismore is Widjabul Wiabal country and is already a vibrant place to live, work and raise a family and I feel positive about our future. Our CBD floods, it has since it was built, it is a challenge and a fact that we must always work on together, supportively. Some 35,000 people commute into Lismore daily to work, shop and access our excellent high schools, university, law courts, financial services, world-class hospitals, sports fields, creative arts spaces and events. People love this place and we need to tell the story of how great this place already is.

Council also needs to tell the story about the hard work it does. Lismore was settled in the 1850’s and our road network is older than Melbourne’s and built for bullock teams to carry timber from the plateau to the river. We were one of the first towns to be sewered in Australia. Until the 1950’s when Rocky Creek Dam was built, we were drinking water straight from the river.

This year Council is investing $150 million into the Lismore economy, including CBD footpaths, shade and seating, community safety, cultural and arts activities. This provides jobs and projects such as the Back Alley Gallery give people a reason to go out. Council has a good relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and a new Business Activation Plan is ready to implement. Recent lockdowns have been hard with businesses experiencing 50% to 80% downturn but Lismore will buzz when we open up. I am proud of the work Councillors and staff have done on our quarry, roads, waste management and long term financial strategy.

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

Job creation is crucial to Lismore’s economic future, the sustainability of our horticultural sector and protection of our natural environment and rivers. A job scheme such as Green Corps will provide training and ongoing employment for our young people, assist farmers to rehydrate their land and reduce soil loss, create habitat along the rivers, and keeping water in the upper catchment will reduce flood levels and velocities downstream. Based on well-documented science, a catchment-wide approach to land management is an incredible investment opportunity for our region. This holistic approach also assists with mitigating the effects of a range of extreme weather events and beautifying the landscape.