The Greens have announced long-time Lismore City Councillor and former Mayor Vanessa Ekins as their mayoral candidate in September’s local government elections.
The move comes after the party earlier this month suggested Cr Ekins would not be running again for a seat.
Supporters were invited to ‘a special event’ on 27 July ‘to celebrate Vanessa Ekins 20 years on Council’.
The invitation said party members were ‘excited that Virginia Waters and possibly Luke Robinson’ would be ‘outstanding representatives alongside Cr Adam Guise,’ with Cr Ekins clearly missing from the list of 2024 candidates.
An online link to ‘Our Candidates – Lismore Greens’ was not working as of Monday working.
But Cr Ekins on Sunday posted to social media saying, ‘tonight I announced that I am here for Lismore, running for Mayor, ready to listen to businesses, families and community’.
‘I stand for community focussed leadership,’ Cr Ekins wrote.
‘Our community has faced unprecedented challenges.
‘Now is the time to rebuild, renew and revive Lismore.’
The party’s official announcement said Cr Ekins would run for mayor without nominating as a councillor, meaning her only hope of continuing to serve in the local government is if she wins the top job, which in Lismore is elected by popular vote as opposed to fellow councillors.
Lismore City waste management on Greens agenda
Cr Ekins has served on the council for the past twenty years, a record unmatched by any competing council candidate.
Only four current Lismore City Councillors had served before winning seats in 2021, leaving a largely inexperienced local government to deal with immediate repercussions of the 2022 floods and landslides disasters and the ongoing recovery.
As part of her surprise weekend announcement, Cr Ekins said she’d been ‘overwhelmed with calls to run for Mayor’.
‘Our community wants experienced and responsible leadership,’ Cr Ekins was quoted saying in a Greens media release.
‘My commitment to you is that I will do the work, show up and focus on what you say is important,’ the former mayor said, ‘together we can revive Lismore.’
Cr Ekins named Lismore City Council’s controversial waste management changes as one of her top mayoral priorities should she win back the role.
‘Core functions such as waste must be managed efficiently by our own people, not handed over to big out of town companies,’ Cr Ekins said.
‘Local businesses need as much access to Council’s $200 million budget as possible, this is how we invest in the local economy,’ the former mayor said.
Greens name Sleeping Lizard reconciliation as Ekins achievement
Fellow Greens councillor and lead candidate on the part’s 2024 council ticket Adam Guise said, as part of the announcement, he was proud to have received mentoring from Cr Ekins over his past eight years on the council.
‘When Vanessa served as mayor in our last council term a sense of calm and safety was palpable among staff and councillors,’ Cr Guise said.
‘Unfortunately, that’s not the case this council term which is why we need Vanessa back in the job!’ he said.
The return of council-owned land on Sleeping Lizard Hill at the southern end of the North Lismore Plateau to local First Nations custodians was listed as one of Cr Ekins’ most significant accomplishments during her time in local government.
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