Heidi Williamson, a candidate for TRC

To the Barraba Community

If someone was to ask you what you think the Tamworth Regional Council should be doing for the people of Barraba, what would that be? 

This was one of the questions that I was asking on the footpath of Barraba back in 2018 when I worked for Council, in a newly created role, community engagement. My guess is that in 2024, some of your answers would likely be the same. 

There are some things that have not changed over time, but in the world of representation and engagement, a lot has changed. Since 2018 I have been privileged enough to have been in the front seat of this change, seeing the results of government’s not deep listening.  I moved back to the Northern Territory to support a Senator to enter into the world of politics, who opened the door to a new chapter of genuine engagement and deep listening. There is something about the Territory that is raw, honest and practical, that resonated with me, because growing up in the New England our community was the same, the Territory just gave me experiences that showed me the difference of a community being involved and having a seat at the table of decision making and not being involved. With experience across three tiers of government and running a business in a community the size of Bundara, I saw the difference between a thriving community and a surviving community. A thriving community has effective Local Government and this, in my experience, is only achieved through genuine engagement and deep listening.

This is why I have decided to stand for the election on September 14th 2024 in the Local Government election for the Tamworth Regional Council. I will bring a fresh, experienced and qualified voice and mind that will apply common sense to decisions made for all communities within the Tamworth, Barraba and Manilla districts, with a key focus on engagement and communication. So, the first step for me to understand what you and our community know about our Council and what your priorities are is to ask the same question, 

What do you think the Tamworth Regional Council should be doing for you and your community? To help me understand your views please scan the QR code on my flier, email me at heidishouse1@gmail.com or find me on Facebook.