Byron Labor councillor Janet Swain has put her hand up for state politics, announcing she will seek Labor preselection for the seat of Ballina at the March 2027 NSW election.
Cr Swain, who was elected to Byron Council in 2024, said she had decided ‘after much consideration’ to seek endorsement from local Labor branch members.
‘I believe in politics. I believe that creative people should be involved in politics, and they have been sorely lacking in the past few years,’ Cr Swain said.
‘As a local councillor, I’ve seen first-hand the work that we can do when we work with state and federal governments, and I’m running to be part of the positive change that Labor can bring to our communities.
‘We need a voice at the table – and I hope to be that voice.’
An Ocean Shores resident, Cr Swain describes herself as a musician, songwriter, arts worker and teacher who has lived in the Byron Shire for around a decade. She says she lives in a multi-generational urban commune and believes ‘politics starts at the grass roots level’.
During her time on Council, Cr Swain has pushed to revive the long-running proposal for a pedestrian and cycle path across the Kolora Way bridge near New Brighton.
She has also been a vocal supporter of Council’s renewed push for a visitor levy, or ‘bed tax’, arguing earlier this year that Byron needed to build a strong case to the NSW government for a trial of the scheme.
Cr Swain was elected as part of Labor’s Byron Shire ticket in 2024, after campaigning on bringing a stronger voice for the north of the Shire and ‘new, creative ideas’ to local problems.
Labor’s candidate for Ballina will be determined through the party’s preselection process.
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