The first female mayor of Northern Beaches Council says the community is at the heart of her work.
As outgoing mayor Michael Regan placed the mayoral chains over Sue Heins’ head on 16 May, she got a little worried. “They felt quite substantial. I wouldn’t say they’re light. I was more worried about the length because they’re very long, and of course Michael’s very tall!”
Michael, who resigned as mayor to take up his position as Wakehurst MP, was quite the gentleman. “Michael placed them very strategically, so that they weighed evenly front and back.”
Achieving balance is a good analogy for the quietly spoken mayor. She has served as deputy three times, but says she is not used to being the face at the front. “This is a very different kettle of fish!” Given she brings with her eleven years of experience on councils, starting out at Warringah in 2012, the shift to the mayoral office should be quite smooth.
Sue has lived on the Northern Beaches for over 25 years, and represents the Curl Curl Ward. With a background in small business, she is well placed to oversee the $433 million budget – one of the biggest in Sydney.
The new mayor is in a strange position in that come September, she will once more be vying for election. Mayors which are selected internally, and not by popular vote, serve only two years before another election. Given Michael Regan had almost finished his term, Sue only gets five months in the chair.
“Obviously I don’t want to take anything for granted, because it was challenging just getting the mayoral vote. But I’m very feeling very supported by the fellow councillors that I have around me,” she says.
Given the mayor is in for such a short time – unless she gets re-elected of course – she will prioritise the council’s long-awaited conservation zones and development control plan.
“Our zoning will be much more complimentary and make sure that we’re capturing and looking after the environmental side of things,” she says. “We’ve got so many waterways, whether it’s beach or inland. We’ve managed to have something much more environmentally sensitive added in there, which is exactly what the community has been waiting for.”
From the beaches to the bush, the council covers such a diverse range of environments over 254 square kilometres, with a balance needing to be struck to manage the ever-increasing number of residential and commercial developments.
The mayor gives people the ability to feel that they can speak to council.
Image credit: Karen Watson
Rates, roads and rubbish may be the stalwart of councils, but for Sue, the 270,000-strong community is her main focus. “(The mayor) is the person who can wear the chains, do citizenship ceremonies and speak about what council’s directions are,” she reflects.
“Their role is also (about) being part of their community and understanding and hearing what the communities want to say.”
There are the endless charity events, school presentations and annual general meetings to attend on behalf of council. Almost like the Queen, perhaps? “Oh, I would never think of it like that!” she laughs. “I think it gives people the ability to feel that they can speak to council. Which is really important from that perspective of feeling that they’re connected and part of a community that cares for them.”
Sue manages to juggle all of her responsibilities as well as caring for her husband, who has Parkinson’s. The night Sue was elected, she came home to find him still awake. “He got up out of his recliner and hugged me and had a big smile on his face. He said, ‘I suppose my life is going to change now?’ So that awareness to me was a shock.
Sue has endless rounds of engagements as mayor, including the recent Sydney Surf Pro at North Narrabeen.
Image credit: WSL, Matt Dunbar
“I think you just have to take life as it comes. And at the moment, he’s capable.”
As for the next five months, Sue says she has a ‘shopping list’ of things she’d like to get done. She says ensuring that the millions of tourists who visit the Beaches every year treat the environment with respect as important. As is improving community engagement and more support for business owners. For now, she’s invited all the councillors to visit the mayoral office, which apparently many have never seen.
“I’m throwing the doors open and going, come on in, have a look. (They may be disappointed) as it’s not at all salubrious!”
