More than 33,000 households and businesses in the Ballina, Lismore and Tweed areas could face higher electricity bills due to a proposed reduction in the solar feed-in tariff.

Private Members Speech:

I pay tribute to the people of the Ballina electorate who were affected just over 12 months ago when Tropical Cyclone Debbie hit our region.

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith is calling on locals to nominate seniors who make a positive impact in the Ballina electorate for a 2018 NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Award.

Photo: Jenny Grinlington

Published in the Ballina Shire Advocate  Wednesday 14 March 2018:

Options for Lennox tree still under investigation
HOPE still remains for a 200-year-old fig tree at Lennox Head to be saved from the chainsaws – even months after the elected council decided to remove the tree.

Opinion: Published in Byron Shire News 

8 March

Tamara Smith
Member for Ballina

Koalas are a national treasure – so why are we forcing them into extinction locally?

Koalas are one of our most precious iconic species, an animal entwined with our national identity around the world. The upcoming Gold Coast Commonwealth Games uses a koala as its mascot but in NSW they are a vulnerable species, rapidly declining in numbers due to native forest clearing and logging and face ever increasing habitat destruction from roads and urban sprawl.

Media Release

9 March 2018

Member for Ballina and Greens Education spokesperson Tamara Smith will visit Taree this Sunday 11 March to take part in a forum about education and climate change.

Ms Smith will visit fellow Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham at Johnny Martin Oval in Taree between 9am and 1pm who will have on display a huge inflatable ‘Earth Ball’.

Media Release

8 March 2018

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has welcomed efforts by Ballina Shire Council to try to preserve an historic fig tree in Castle Drive, Lennox Head.

Media Release

7 March 2018

Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP today asked the Planning Minister Anthony Roberts during Question Time if his government would act on the concerns of the Byron Bay community about the social, environmental and economic impacts of the mega development application for West Byron.

Media Release

5 March 2018

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith today visited the Sydney Startup Hub as a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development.

The Committee is conducting an inquiry into support for start-ups in regional NSW.

“I toured the Startup Hub facility, and was able to speak informally with regional start-up operators there,” said Tamara Smith.

Media Release

2 March 2018

Greens call on Woolworths to exit Westower Tavern pokies

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has today called on Woolworths to phase out pokies at its Westower Tavern venue in West Ballina.

This follows allegations by whistleblowers that staff at Woolworths-owned hotels have been spying on gamblers in order to boost profits.

Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says whistleblowers have revealed that Woolworths’ hotels keep databases of customers who gamble, including their habits and behaviours.