Edition 33
February 18, 2021
LISMORE City Council has elected its new mayor at the first council meeting for 2021. NSW Greens Councillor Vanessa Ekins (pictured) was elected mayor after three rounds of open voting, while deputy mayor Neil Marks retained his position after being eliminated in a draw from the barrel. Cr Ekins and Neil Marks as well as councillors Elly Bird, Darlene Cook and Nancy Casson
nominated for the role. Cr Ekins said in her speech to the Council that she was an active member of council and the local community, which would benefit her in this new role. “I have the skills, I have the time and I have the experience, I am responsible, I read the business papers, I go to the workshops and the events, I attend the meetings and I am informed so I do the work,” she said
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“We really need to focus on getting things ready for the next council that comes in September.” Ekins thanked both former acting mayor Neil Marks for his time in the role during after the shock resignation of the former mayor Issac Smith announced back in December. Cr Ekins will be the interim mayor of Lismore City Council until the postponed local government elections which are to be held on the 4th of September after being postponed last year due to the Covid pandemic. The election of Cr Ekins comes after it had two councillors and a mayor step away from their positions in the past 12 months. The mayoral position became vacant after the former mayor Isaac Smith announced his retirement effective from February 2021. Federal and state politicians have commented on the election and offered some advice to the newly appointed mayor. “We all love where we live that’s why we are here. I would ask the new Greens Mayor for Lismore to look at three things, along with local roads which are always a priority,” Page MP Kevin Hogan said.
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Mr Hogan said there was the need to provide hundreds of new homes for families in Lismore, with the stalled North Lismore Plateau housing project needing the mayor’s personal support. “To provide more jobs and to stop leakage of shopping to the Gold Coast, the Lismore Shopping Square expansion needs Council support. This will help keep Lismore as a Regional shopping hub,” Mr Hogan said. Mr Hogan also said the Council needed to come up with a solid flood mitigation plan for Lismore. “Simply planting trees upstream is not enough,” he said. Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin also chimed in saying she hopes Council can “reset” and make ratepayers and businesses its main priority leading up to local government elections in September. “Locals have told me it’s been a few torrid years at Council and what we need is some calm leadership for the good of ratepayers and residents. Looking after them must again be the Council’s main priority, as it is mine,” Ms Saffin said. “I’d like to see more attention given to our CBD businesses and industry,” she said.
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