Profile: Libby Mears

Commitment, Passion & Community

By Liz Clark A deep love of nature and the Surf Coast inspired Libby Mears to move to Anglesea with her family in 1999. Her family has enjoyed a connection with Anglesea since her grandfather Gladstone Mears built the first house in Melba Parade – many years before she was born.

She grew up in Essendon in a family of seven – mum and dad and five children – attending St Vincent de Paul primary school and St Columba’s College for her secondary education.

Straight from school, she joined the Government School Dental Service, a position that meant she studied and learned on the job and was bonded to work for the service for three years.

This work took her to various country areas including Warrnambool, Portland and Ballarat, and gave her a deep appreciation for a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

In 1999, looking for space and more community involvement, she moved to Anglesea with her husband and three small children. It took no time for her to become part of the kindergarten’s parent group where she found many new friends and a new passion for active involvement in community life. A subsequent move to Aireys Inlet cemented her life into a warm and generous community and supported her as she moved into various local groups.

After chairing an Annual General Meeting at the Anglesea kindergarten, she was approached by a visiting Shire councillor, Beth Davidson, and invited to give some thought to standing for Council at the coming elections.

Beth had the foresight to see Libby’s unique leadership qualities and noted her respectful and engaging approach to people.

She was duly elected to Council and began to appreciate the importance of actually being at the table where decisions are made to support the growth and wellbeing of the community, provide services and a response to needs and concerns.

She felt that being a councillor was all about relationships, and facilitating ways of making communities work together and sort out differences.

Libby had two terms as Shire Mayor, and as well as helping make important changes for the region, she was involved in developing policies and future planning – all skills that she learned through her experience.

In addition, she was instrumental in working with the Anglesea Community House to set up an occasional care service, assisting women to have broader choices in their lives. She volunteered at the kindergarten, encouraged longer hours there, took turns at canteen duty, and was instrumental in the formation of the Aireys Inlet Eels Football Club.

Libby Mears

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varied town events that dot the local calendar, living a life totally immersed in family and local activities, while supporting the wider community through her work with the Shire.

In 2013, Libby became CEO of Leisure Networks, the disability and support network in Geelong. She describes this work as eight years of joy. Beginning with 20 staff, the focus was then on community sport, and inclusion for people of all abilities.

Libby wanted to find a place for everyone, to welcome people and support families, to break down community attitudes and understandings. This was around the time the NDIS was put in place, which allowed people with disabilities to set goals, procure their own funding, make choices and control their lives.

Now, across a wide range of NDIS services and programs, Leisure Networks focuses on building life skills, confidence and social connection. They support people to lead more independent lives and to achieve their aspirations.

Libby cannot speak more highly of the 150 support staff who now work in the organisation. She describes them as truly amazing people. She recruits staff based on their values, seeking those who respect others, will seek the best for their clients, and who offer a place of belonging and acceptance.

In 2020, Libby took on the challenging role of Chair of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA). This is a new management body mandated with the vast responsibility of managing, protecting, rehabilitating and fostering resilience of the natural, cultural and heritage values of coastal Crown land and marine waters along the Great Ocean Road.

Not daunted by the scope of her task, Libby sees this as a ground breaking, transformational opportunity to ensure the protection of the future of this remarkably beautiful part of Victoria. The pressures from environmental

Libby Mears, Chair of the Great Ocean Road Authority and CEO of Leisure Networks issues, tourism and population are obvious, yet this natural environment needs to be shared with everyone.

The big challenge is to drive a more sustainable economy while respecting the environment, perhaps to slow things down and introduce both locals and tourists to the whole region rather than the obvious beauty spots along the Road. Commerce and business will need to find more workable models.

Libby sees the two traditional owner groups of the area as the key to setting the Authority on the path to success. Understanding more of their history and values, their aspirations and experience, listening to their stories, learning from thousands of years of knowledge and enabling cooperation and respect for one another are major tasks for GORCAPA.

It will require respect and cooperation and good management, at all levels.

Libby has faced many challenges in the past. Hopefully her years of service have equipped her well to achieve amazing outcomes for the future of the Great Ocean Road.