Just the two parties fielding group tickets for our largest council, with most of the known councillors ungrouped in their quest to be returned to one of the nine seats available. There is a bit of a seismic shift on the way, regardless of the result, with the respected Deputy Mayor Helen Tickle not recontesting after 16 years service, while Phil Betts is stepping down after 33 years on Council.
See the NSW Electoral Commission’s website for where and how to vote information.
Group A – Labor
| MEARS Stephen* – no information provided |
| HUGHES Laura – no information provided |
| ROBINSON Thomas – no information provided |
| McHUGH Denise – no information provided |
| RINDO Sergio – no information provided |
Group B – Greens
BROOKE Ryan About As a lifelong Tamworth resident, I have worked in disability care, spent years running my own videography business, and I currently work in I.T. I’m an active participant in the Tamworth arts community, a member of various environmental community groups, and I’m raising two step-kids with my partner. After surviving my battle with testicular cancer during the height of the pandemic lock-downs, I decided to get active on a local level and help make real changes to improve the liveability of our community. This volunteering and advocacy led me to run for the Greens as their candidate at last year’s state election. When the election was over, I was touched by the number of people who reached out to me, from across the political rainbow, encouraging me to run for council. Most important issue In no particular order: Water security – Our region has a prolonged history of water security issues, being a regional centre not located on a major river or with substantial access to underground aquifers. We believe action is required by all levels of government to solve the Tamworth Region’s water security issues, with the primary focus being the exploration and development of water recycling facilities. Improving genuine community consultation and transparency – A core pillar of our political belief is grassroots participatory democracy. Local Government also enjoys the advantage of being the level of government closest to the community it serves. Although a constant complaint from the people of our region is how unapproachable, unresponsive, and unrepresentative the TRC has historically been. This has been highlighted recently by the overwhelming majority of councillors voting in support of the 2024 special rate variation, despite TRCs own survey returning 97% not in favour of the rate rise. As councillors, we’ll commit to making ourselves open to genuine public consultation throughout our term. We want to explore forms of participatory democracy, with one initiative being to regularly host a listening post at market stalls or at a park across the region where community members are free to talk to a councillor about whatever issues they have concerning the council. We are also supportive of a Transparency and Accountability policy of adopting a register of interactions between councillors, developers, and lobbyists. A motion to implement this policy has twice before been put forward by Cr Rodda but has been voted down both times by the overwhelming majority of councillors. On council, we would enthusiastically support such a motion, as we believe this information should be publicly available to all community members. Sustainable development – While the entire nation is facing a housing crisis, it is imperative for councils to do their part in getting new homes built to catch up to demand. Tamworth has several major housing divisions planned in our pursuit to reach a population of 100,000, but it’s equally important to ensure that a mix of housing types are being developed, not just family homes and suburban sprawl. We need to be forward thinking and plan new housing with the goal of reducing pressure on traffic congestion, and minimising the impacts on the natural environment surrounding our urban areas. Tamworth has several new housing developments planned, and it’s crucial that the council pushes for developers to implement building practices considerate of modern environmental standards for these new homes to be comfortable and sustainable. Vote for me because… We need someone who is willing to genuinely meet, listen, and engage with the community. We need more people on the council who will stand up for residents, not developers. No matter whom I speak with, everyone agrees that the TRC needs a shake-up, and I believe giving younger voices with a fresh perspective a chance can help make our council more representative of the entire community. Your vote is powerful; nothing changes until you vote for change. Website: https://ryanbrooke.au |
| TOLMIE Gemma-Lea |
| EMOJONG Sewa – no information provided |
| GUNNING Robin – no information provided |
| FOGARTY Catherine – no information provided |
Ungrouped candidates
| COATES Judy* – no information provided |
| IMPEY Charles – no information provided |
| NORTH Brendon – no information provided |
| BUDD Jeffrey – no information provided |
| WEBB Russell* – no information provided |
RODDA Mark* About Independent Councillor serving the fine people of the Tamworth Regional Council LGA. Focussed on the core statutory responsibilities delegated to council’s under the Local Government Act, 1993. Roads, rates rubbish, water, kerb & guttering, parks & gardens, footpaths and streetlights. Most important issue Keeping a lid on rates, fees and charges increases during the cost of living crisis while delivering better roads and infrastructure. Vote for me because… Because I have demonstrated that I am willing to standing up for residents and not afraid to speak up on issues impacting them. I do not toe a party line or be bullied on issues important to fellow residents and ratepayers. Website: https://www.facebook.com/mark.rodda4trc |
| TAIT Ray – no information provided |
| FENN Marie – no information provided |
| SHARPHAM Matt – no information provided |
GILLETT Daniel About I’m a father, charity worker, and community advocate. By day I work for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. In my own time, I work with many volunteer committees, including managing preschools, advising schools, local arts organisations, and city working groups. I was born in Tamworth and have lived here most of my life. I love our region and its people. Most important issue We need to attract more people to live in our region. I hear this every day from businesses, service groups, and other community organisations. They can’t find staff, they can’t find help, they can’t find volunteers. Tamworth and the surrounding region has so much to offer those who make their homes here and those who come to visit. We have always been a region that boasts a beautiful natural environment, a healthy balance of farming and industry, and excellent rewards for hard work. We need to build on our strengths, attract more people to our region, and make better choices for our community. Vote for me because… As a Councillor, I’ll focus on what local government is about – local issues. We need to empower the businesses in our city to prosper, especially in developing solutions to local problems. We need to ensure that we have a safe and welcoming environment for tourists and other visitors. Most importantly, we need to continue to develop bold infrastructure that makes us the envy of other regional cities in NSW. So that when tree-changing professionals, tradespeople, new Australians, and students look for a region to live, they make a better choice. I strongly believe that the proposed Performing Arts and Cultural Precinct is a key to making us a better choice for people moving to the regions. I have the experience on boards, working groups, and committees to work hard and play fair on Council. It’s not about scoring points. It’s about being a team player, looking at the facts of each issue, and making a better choice. Only by taking an optimistic and collaborative approach into the next term will we lead Tamworth into a prosperous future. Website: https://bit.ly/dg4trc |
| MEYER Greig – no information provided |
| SUTHERLAND Marc* – no information provided |
WILLIAMSON Heidi (National Party Member) About Energetic, hard working, experienced candidate who is passionate about regional communities and improving lives. With academic qualifications in Psychology, Post Grad Dip Indigenous Policy and a Practice Certificate in Psychology in Disaster Management. I am running to be a part of driving our economy and community identity in a positive way so that our future generations have what we have and so much more. Mother of two young men, raised in Glen Innes and have spent 20 years in the Northern Territory, running the Albert Namatjira Art Gallery, Museum and cafe at Hermannsburg., and supporting economic development through business development on national significant level down to small to medium businesses. With links into the country music industry, I will be focusing on ensuring our festivals grow and evolve so they are around for our children. I have worked at all levels of government, for Ministers and in Local Government so I bring a broad level of experience. I am a hobby farmer, an aspiring flower farmer, with cows and a few sheep. An advocate in the community for the reduction of deaths from domestic violence and passionate about keeping our community Rural Shows alive, volunteering my time where I can to help out. I believe we need more role models for young women in regional Australia so I am putting my hand up to show other young women, we can all do it, no matter our story. Most important issue Planning: 1. We need to secure essential services so that our growth is not capped. 2. We need to go back to the drawing board, our region is so many things and we need to strategically build on those identities to make sure our villages and towns are vibrant and a choice place to line work and play 3. Attraction and retention of workers – both within Council but broadly, we can do this through having opportunity and incentives 4. Management of assets, making sure we as Council are spending sensibly and decisions made aren’t falling back to negatively impact our rate payers or the events we are trying to attract. Vote for me because… I am bringing a fresh, qualified approach with a commonsense approach, with a lot of energy. I am a hard worker and team player and want to contribute to our community development with a positive and strategic approach Website: https://www.facebook.com/HeidiWilliamsonforTRC |
| BURKE Bede* – no information provided |
See all our coverage for the Local Government elections 2024. Candidates can submit information here and we’ll get it up when we can.