Experience

Active contributor to Sorell Council planning, meetings and events

Five years serving on Council’s Audit Panel, gaining detailed insight into Sorell Council‘s strategies, finances and asset management as well as how Sorell Council performs compared with other Councils.

Five years serving on the Sorell Planning Authority, a challenging role requiring Councillors to set aside our community focus to instead only consider the planning scheme rules.

  • In 2022/23 I instigated the successful name change from Development Assessment Special Committee to Sorell Planning Authority to describe the role in a more practical way.
  • Strategic land use planning and local government reform could enable Councillors to better represent community interests for the public good, especially where current planning rules are falling well short of community expectations.

Speaking up for a stronger community voice in council planning and project management; more effective engagement is now a feature of:

Always learning and curious about the ‘why’, I stay well informed, attend councillor training workshops and Local Government Association of Tasmania conferences (most Sorell Councillors don’t). I’m Vice President of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (Tasmania) and closely follow what other councils are doing.

Experienced leader with local, state and national organisations

Current Board member of Bendigo Bank – Community Bank Sorell (Company Secretary), and the Australian Neighbourhood Houses & Centres Association.

Elected member of the Community Bank National Council for three remarkable years 2019-2021, representing community bank directors across Tasmania and regional Victoria. Fascinating insights working alongside directors from all states and territories, Bendigo Bank board members and senior executives, one of Australia’s biggest banks and awarded the most trusted bank.

Diverse public sector, business and freelance experience including strategic communication, spatial information, writing, editing, publishing, community development, public education, staff development, taxation, conveyancing and retail:

  • Freelance writer and editor: wordsmith for The Tasmanian Tuxedo magazine; editor of the Pitt Water Chronicles history journals; articles for The Sorell Times and The Tasman Gazette 2011-2018 and for Lois Magazine 2016-2018; Sorell Council contract 2017 editing the monthly Mayor’s column
  • Director of nrico geospatial 2006-2012; partner Dodges Ferry Online 2012-2018; director of CPS Credit Union 1998-2000
  • ATO Senior Communication Adviser 1996-2010, a Hobart-based national role working in Canberra and all capital cities other than Darwin; internal communication and network strategy specialist
  • ATO tax assessor, staff development and national projects 1983-1996, established the inaugural Tax Officer Development Program in Tasmania, the Graduate Recruitment Program and Continuing Professional Development Program, pilot Tax File Number School Program and national implementation, public relations manager for the ATO in Tasmania
  • First jobs at Fitzgerald’s Record Bar and legal registration clerk at Piggott Wood & Baker

Current member of the Governance Institute of Australia, the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (Tasmania), Tasmanian Council of Social Services, Volunteering Tasmania, Australian Institute of Community Directors.

Active volunteer with Dodges Ferry Primary School Association (past president, secretary, treasurer and now elected community representative and deputy chair), Okines Community House (past president, Film Society treasurer), Sorell History Society (Pitt Water Chronicles editor), Southern Beaches History Society (Carlton River History Festival), Southern Beaches Landcare/Coastcare (past member), Southern Beaches Neighbourhood Watch.

Founding member of South East United FC, former vice president of Dodges Ferry Junior Soccer Club, and founding member of Dodges Ferry Film Society.

Active community volunteer in Sorell and the Southern Beaches for 15+ years

I first became involved with Dodges Ferry Primary School Association (then the P&F) in 2008 (past president, secretary, treasurer) and I’m now an elected community representative and deputy chair. Partnering with the school, Council and other stakeholders the Outdoor Classroom working group developed a 10 year plan, funded Lagoon Park play ground equipment, organised the shelter shed upgrade and Lagoon Park mosaic panels, established the bush playground, and designed and established the very popular Community Loop Track around the school (made possible by a Tas Community Fund grant, terrific local expertise and wonderful teamwork). I’ve also volunteered at many working bees, amazing school fairs, school lunch program, BBQs and other fundraisers over the years.

Okines Community House since 2009 - I first helped out with breakfast club when my boys were at primary school and Okines was still a virtual house, running breakfast club from the Dodges Ferry Football Clubrooms. A board member since 2014 and president 2015-2022, I’m also a founding member of Okines Food Co-op, and a founding member and treasurer of Dodges Ferry Film Society.

Through my volunteer roles with Okines I became a member of the community-based local action group formed in 2017 to work with TasCOSS and the State Government to develop and design the South East Employment Hub pilot. It was an idea that came from the community, developed by the community and the group then helped oversee implementation in partnership with Colony47, SERDA (South East Regional Development Association) and Sorell Council hosted SERDA staff. The SEE Hub success is now mirrored in similar community focussed jobs hubs set up around the state, and from 1 July 2022 SEE Hub evolved into the state-funded Business & Employment Southeast Tasmania, continuing to combine business advice, workforce planning and job seeker support across the south east.

A volunteer over many years with Southern Beaches Landcare/Coastcare, Sorell Historical Society and Southern Beaches Historical Society and junior soccer - I’ve ‘enjoyed’ cumbungi busting at Blue Lagoon, was SHS Vice President; SBLC, SHS and SBHS website developer; designer and editor of the Pitt Water Chronicles history journals and The Dodges Ferry I Knew; designing info signs; a former vice president of Dodges Ferry Junior Soccer Club and founding member of South East United FC.

When we moved to Dodges Ferry in 1992 one of my first memories is being handed the local Neighbourhood Watch newsletter at our door - no postal delivery so no letterboxes back then - and starting to feel part of a community thanks to the care for one another and local knowledge shared. Now I’m a Neighbourhood Watch Tasmania member and founding member of the re-formed Southern Beaches Neighbourhood Watch Group, facilitated a community leaders youth forum in 2020 and awareness raising through a program of activities including Cuppa with a Cop, a local newsletter, street signs and SBNW Facebook page.