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.

Media Release

28 February 2018

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has welcomed news of the withdrawal of the Bangalow Food Hub development application.

28 February 2018

Tamara Smith
Member for Ballina
Greens Education spokesperson

I welcome the NSW government backing down from its plan to prevent students who didn't reach minimum standards in NAPLAN Year 9 results from getting their HSC.

I spoke at a protest against this policy in Sydney last year and it is good to see results from the campaign that teachers, parents and unions launched last year against this move.

Media Release

15 February 2018

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith says she supports legislation which would make country of origin information on seafood products compulsory.

"This legislation is in line with the foodie ethos in the Northern Rivers area where we have a strong interest in buying local food," said Tamara Smith.

16 February 2018

Media Release

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith is congratulating Woolworths Mullumbimby for choosing to end providing single use plastic bags to shoppers from 4 April this year.

“The Mullumbimby branch will be among the first Woolworths stores in New South Wales to be single-use plastic bag free from 4 April, ahead of other stores which will be ending single use plastic bags by 30 June.”

Private Member's Statement

13 February 2018

NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES

One of the most important icons in my electorate is the Big Prawn on River Street at the western entrance to Ballina. The prawn represents the once thriving prawn industry of the Richmond River. Like the oyster industry in Ballina, the prawn industry no longer exists to the extent it once did. The primary reason is the poor state of the health of the Richmond River. In 2014 the Richmond Ecohealth Project revealed that the Richmond River has an overall health grade of D. The grades range from grade F in the Wilsons River and upper Richmond River estuary to grade C in the headwater streams of the catchment.

Tamara Smith
Member for Ballina

8 Feb 2018
Published in Byron Shire News

Opinion: NSW has the highest rate of community losses on pokies in Australia

Last weekend I got to meet the wonderful Reverend Tim Costello (pictured left below) who was in Byron to see the first hotel in NSW remove gaming machines from its premises. In case you missed it - the new owners of the Byron Beach hotel have taken poker machines out of the pub because they do not support the harm that pokies are doing to communities like ours.

Grants available for local environmental projects

Member for Ballina Tamara Smith is encouraging community groups and councils to apply for the NSW Government's 2018 Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants Program.

"The aim of these grants is to protect and restore ecosystems and care for the habitats of rare and endangered plants and animals.

“The grants deliver funding to local grassroots environmental projects to protect and restore a wide range of environments.

"Community groups, not-for-profit and government entities such as Councils are all encouraged to apply,” said Ms Smith.

Media Release

05 February 2018

Greens NSW MP and Transport Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, and MP for Ballina, Tamara Smith, are calling for a Special Commission of Inquiry to look into Roads and Transport Projects.

Dr Faruqi has written to the Governor seeking a Special Commission of Inquiry to look into systemic issues plaguing Transport and Roads projects across NSW, including bungled projects, inflated benefits, cost blowouts worth tens of billions, the targeting of public servants and the billions of dollars being poured into projects against the advice of this Government’s own experts, with deliberate attempts to hide information from the public.

Media Release
31 January 2018

Four koala deaths in four weeks at Meerschaum Vale

Photo: A sick koala and its offspring take refuge on fallen trees at Meerschaum vale - credit: Suzanne Whiteman

Greens Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith, has seen evidence that four koalas have died in the past four weeks at Meerschaum Vale, near the construction of the Pacific Highway upgrade.

“I am saddened and appalled at the loss of Ballina’s koalas, not through disease but as a result of traffic and the disruption caused by highway construction,” said Ms Smith.