“Underestimated all the way to the Mayor's office

27-September-2018

Greens members in Glen Innes are celebrating the elevation of Councillor Carol Sparks to the position of Mayor, and the first woman to hold the post, by a majority vote of the Glen Innes Severn Council.

Councillor Sparks was first elected in 2016 and appointed as Deputy Mayor by Councillors, where she has worked hard to represent many issues of concern to the community including healthcare, domestic violence prevention, parkland and local tree preservation.

"Councillor Sparks' assiduous work in the community has gained the respect of ratepayers and a majority of Councillors across political lines," said local Greens group spokesperson Mercurius Goldstein.

Councillor Sparks first official duty as Mayor will be at the invitation of local Ngarrabul Elders to help at the raising of an Aboriginal flag at the local Land Council’s NAIDOC function on Friday 28 September.

"It is a testament to Councillor Sparks' community focus that she will be acknowledging the First Peoples of this region in her first official duty as Mayor," said Mr Goldstein.

Many firsts for this Mayor

Councillor Sparks appointment as Mayor makes history as the first woman to hold the post in Glen Innes Severn Council. Alongside newly-elected Deputy mayor Dianne Newman (Independent), this marks the first all-woman leadership team for the region, a 146-year precedent.

Although it may be the first time a designated Greens representative has held the Mayoral post in Glen Innes, that itself is a far from unique occurrence among around New South Wales.

"Today Glen Innes joins four other thriving and sustainable communities that boast Greens Mayors -- the prosperous shires of Tweed, Byron, Bellingen, and Shoalhaven.

"We are excited about the positive developments these communities have demonstrated with local Greens leadership, and the potential this indicates for Glen Innes,” said Mr Goldstein.

Greens have local impact

The local Greens member group was first formed as recently as 2014, and has made an impact on local issues by staying close to the community and maintaining grassroots connections.

The campaign for a 24-hour doctor on duty at Glen Innes hospital, regular local clean-up days, and participation in domestic violence prevention initiatives have all been part of local Greens members activities in recent years.

"It's a significant achievement for a local member group to go from nothing to having a Mayoral representative in less than 5 years," said Mr Goldstein.

"Local Greens member groups have the greatest success where they stay close to their community and campaign on issues where people live. While many might still think of Greens in Glen Innes as a marginal party, local people notice and respect hands-on campaigners who do practical work in the community."

Green light for accountability

Not everyone in the town has reacted favourably to the notion of a local Councillor with a declared party membership, but Mr Goldstein said that declared positions enable transparency and accountability for the votes that Councillor Sparks makes on Council.

"Councillor Sparks has never shied away from her Greens membership, while the political alignments of other Councillors remain undeclared. But we in the Greens believe that political parties gain credibility where their members are a visible and active part of the local community.

"While a few along the way might have underestimated Councillor Sparks before today, they've now underestimated her all the way to the Mayor's office," said Mr Goldstein.”