Lismore Mayor Vanessa Ekins yesterday launched her re-election campaign for the September 4 local council election.

Standing side by side with Greens Councillor Adam Guise, Mayor Ekins announced all of the community candidates who will be making up the Greens’ election team.

Mayor Ekins’ and Councillor Guise’s team is made up of perhaps the youngest election candidate Lismore has seen - youth advocate, Kashmir Miller.

Also on the team is village representative and small business operator, Ivy Young; scientist and tutor, Dr Linda Banbury; and university teacher and academic Shae Salmon.

Mayor

Mayor Ekins said she is seeking to be re-elected as Lismore’s Mayor.

“Having served on Lismore Council for 17 years and on Rous County Council for 13 years, I am the most experienced Councillor and I believe I am the best person to lead our Council and communities through the next term of Local Government,” she said.

“Since becoming Mayor in February, I have worked hard to improve our financial position and community confidence in Council.

“We now have a strong strategy for sustainability and I want to drive that with the new Council.”

Councillor Adam Guise is also no stranger to the workings of local council, having been and active councillor since 2016

“Headed by the experienced hands of our current Mayor, we believe the Greens team is the most effective and representative team to take Lismore forward,” he said.

“Vanessa has been a steady and unifying leader who our community has needed in these challenging times.

“We have faced financial challenges, flood, fire, drought and COVID-19 and Vanessa displays deep knowledge of our community.

“She understands the complex workings of Council and is determined to get positive outcomes for our community. Se also celebrates the diversity of our communities and is committed to protecting our rich environment.”

Cr Guise

Councillor Guise who helped lead the successful charge against Coal Seam Gas in our region and said he is “deeply committed to ethical and transparent decision making within Council”.

“The community should be at the forefront of decisions affecting them,” he said.

“During my time on Council, I have led significant improvements to Council’s practices, including the need to reform underperforming commercial assets.

“Alongside Vanessa, I have been a strong voice in the protection of our rich and diverse natural environment, the need for urban renewal focussed on our River and CBD and have led the charge for planning decisions to better reflect the needs of the community.

“As Greens on Council, Vanessa and I have called for more medium density and affordable housing to support our homeless and smaller-household residents.”

Mayor Ekins said Lismore is facing many challenges including homelessness, extreme weather events and maintaining our public infrastructure and roads in the face of these events.

“Water security, cost shifting of State Government onto Local Council and the increased pressures on our unique and important biodiversity, including our precious koala populations are also big issues,” she said.

“These emerging issues require new and innovative solutions.

“The key thread to addressing all of the problems we face is maintaining the heart and soul of our region and building our resilience.

“We do this by looking after the natural environment, our public infrastructure and each other.”

The Greens currently have 58 councillors working for positive change across 32 councils in NSW.