Staff reporters
The Greens announced second candidates for Ballina and Lismore, and a full team of hopefuls in Byron, as they launched council election campaigns around the region in the past week.
Senator Lee Rhiannon travelled up from Sydney on Tuesday to join candidates in Lismore and Ballina.
She paid a visit to the Rainbow Power Company in Nimbin with the party’s number-two candidate for Lismore, Sue Stock, before moving on to Ballina where she inspected the council-owned Wigmore Arcade with sitting councillor Jeff Johnson and number-two candidate Effie Ablett.
The arcade, which is slated for redevelopment, has been the focus of a swingeing attack by the Greens and others regarding the shire’s penchant for investments that don’t always bring in a commercial return.
Meanwhile, Byron Greens mayoral candidate Simon Richardson has announced five fellow candidates who will join his ticket for the election.
Sitting Byron Greens councillor, mayor Jan Barham, is not recontesting the council election.
The Byron team includes popular local real estate agent and environmental advocate Rose Wanchap, youthful Byron Community Centre employee Clare Hocking, civil engineer Duncan Dey, retired journalist Jim Beatson and Liberation Larder treasurer Rhonda Khong.
Cr Richardson described the team as a good mix of youth and experience.
‘We’ve got quality in both, with decades of experience in community issues, commercial businesses, the environment, management and governance,’ he told Echonetdaily.
