Lyndall Murray is running for mayor and councillor in the upcoming Richmond Valley Council (RVC) elections with a core team of seven candidates. Her team, Group C, are all about the community, effective good governance and positive leadership.
Running second on the ticket is Coraki local Bianca Rayner who had a key role in coordinating an evacuation centre in Coraki during the 2022 floods and has continued working on the flood recovery efforts in the region.
Simone Barker, Aboriginal education officer at Evans River is third on the ticket. Simone is the traditional knowledge holder and custodian for the Bandjalang People and Bundjalung Nation and is the daughter of the late Lawrence Wilson.
Trolling
Lyndall told The Echo that running for council has been an eye-opening experience as other teams members have engaged in ‘unexpected trolling and negative rhetoric’.
‘They have been spreading blatant lies to tear down other people’s characters,’ she said.
Lyndall says that she hopes that a future code of conduct can be developed ‘that stops that behaviour and ensure candidates can focus on the issues that are affecting everyday people and ratepayers’.
‘I hope to inspire the next generation to take up leadership roles because the decisions we make today will affect them the most and before they run I hope that we can have a code of conduct that stops this kind of behaviour.
‘I want to bring that agile, innovative, robust debate to the council and to hold the mayor and council team to the same behaviour and performance standards that we hold our executive leaders of big business around the country to.’
Iron Gates
Iron Gates has been a big issue for over thirty years in the RVC LGA and Lyndall says she is clear in her support to appeal the decision. She recounted how at a recent meet the candidates when the mayoral candidates were asked if they supported Iron Gates ‘not one hand went up’.
During the Northern Rivers Planning Panel (NRPP) hearings Grame Ingles said the latest (2014) lodgement of the development application (DA) for Iron Gates had been suggested by Group A, mayoral candidate, and former RVC general manager, John Walker.
There is a real chance that while current mayoral candidates are not saying they support Iron Gates they may decide that the costs of appealing the decision will be too costly. However, Lyndall says it is vital that everyone recognise the risks of flooding to existing long-term residents in Evans Head that the development will have.
‘60 swimming pools of fill will be brought into the site and that means there is the equivalent amont of water that will be displaced during future floods that could have direct impacts on long-term existing housing downstream in Evans Head,’ she explained. And after running a 000 help centre from her home during the 2022 floods she knows exactly how much of an impact the floods can, and will have, in the future.
‘The current DA is based on 2015 flood data and does not take into account the current flood levels,’ she explained.
‘There were also significant issues with some of the material presented at teh Land and Environment Court (L&EC) hearing with one of the applicants experts misidentifying cultural sites such as ‘the position of the Goanna Headland being identified incorrectly – they pointed it out as Chinamans Beach when it is actually on Razorback Lookout – there were huge flaws in their experts report.
‘What they are not calculating is what the cost to the community if this goes ahead. If they don’t appeal what are the future costs of flooding, the cost to the environment and cultural heritage?’
Building future capacity
The RVC local government area (LGA) is in the bottom ten per cent for social and economic disadvantage and Lyndell says she and her team see sports playing ‘vital role in building a healthy and cohesive community’.
‘Bringing hockey back to Coraki is just one step in the right direction,’ she told The Echo.
‘As a councillor, I propose a multi-faceted approach to address Richmond Valley’s social and economic disadvantage and improve educational and occupational outcomes:
- Invest in Local Sports and Recreation: Reintroducing hockey in Coraki and enhancing sports facilities across Richmond Valley will provide our youth with more opportunities for engagement, teamwork, and physical activity. Sports programs reduce anti-social behavior and instill discipline and community values.
- Boost Local Education and Training Opportunities: Partnering with local schools, TAFEs, and industry bodies to provide targeted vocational training and career guidance can better prepare our youth and adults for job opportunities. Emphasizing trades, technology, and sustainability careers can create a skilled workforce aligned with regional needs.
- Develop Affordable Housing Initiatives: I will advocate for policies that make long-term rentals more economically viable than short-term stays and incentivize property owners to bring vacant homes onto the long-term rental market. This approach will help reduce housing stress and provide more stable housing options for our community.
- Support Small Businesses and Local Enterprises: Offering small business start-up pitch night grants and mentoring, we can stimulate local entrepreneurship. Focusing on sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and digital enterprises will diversify our economy and create more jobs.
- Promote Mental Health and Social Services: Enhancing access to mental health services and community support programs will address underlying social issues, enabling people to participate fully in education and employment opportunities.’
Coal Seam Gas – CSG
When John Walker was General Manager of the RVC the council showed strong support for the development of coal seam gas (CSG). Lyndell and her team say they remain opposed to the development of CSG in RVC.
‘Back in 2013 the RVC had a public record of strong support for CSG development. I am firmly opposed to CSG in the Richmond electorate because of the serious risks it poses to our environment, water resources, and community health,’ she explained.
‘Our region deserves leadership that prioritises environmental, social, and economic sustainability over short-term profits. If our community hadn’t stood up and won the fight against CSG back in 2014, imagine the mess we’d be living in today.’
Effluent on Salty Lakes?
Lyndal told The Echo that she does not support the dumping of effluent into the Salty Lakes system in Broadwater National Park.
‘I do not support the continued dumping of treated effluent from the Evans Head Sewerage Treatment Plant into the Salty Lakes system. This practice poses a threat to the delicate ecosystem, impacting water quality and local biodiversity. Our community deserves better management of our natural resources, and I strongly advocate for sustainable wastewater solutions that protect our environment and preserve it for future generations.’
20 years of business experience
Lyndell says she has 20 years of executive experience in big and medium sized businesses from running multi-million dollar campaigns and launches to smaller local business affairs. She says she was the youngest executive manager of the NRMA Holiday Parkes portfolio and worked in sports, entertainment, and tourism with brands like the Wests Tigers, GWS Giants, AUSTAR TV, and Foxtel.
Broad representation
Luydall says their ticket has broad representation across the community from important Indigenous representation to a labor member.
‘I saw Michelle Yates run last time and that gave me the courage to run,’ she explained.
‘We have a ticket that is 70 per cent women and 30 per cent Indigenous – so we are really looking to bring an important and diverse range of voices to the table of RVC.’
The other members of Lydalls team are: Samuel Allis, Kylie Maunder, Nathan Scully, and Hanabeth Luke.
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