Newcastle's second-longest serving lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes resigns

Newcastle Herald

Transcript

00:00Under Nhu-Atali's leadership there's been a real focus not only locally but globally.

00:07Literally looking around every suburb of the city you see improvements.

00:12I think Nhu-Atali's greatest legacy will be those changes that will roll through and really lift Newcastle in the decades to come.

00:20Her legacy is going to be far and wide and it'll be felt for a long time.

00:26My earliest memory of Nhu-Atali is very, very early. She was a little girl.

00:32She used to come into the court sometimes because her mum worked there.

00:36I suspect her dad had a lot of influence and also her mum.

00:41They were quite political and her dad of course was on the council so it was bound to happen.

00:47She first ran for Lord Mayor in 2012 and was unfortunately unsuccessful in that first general election.

00:54But ran again and has consistently led by example in terms of showing other young women

01:01that we have a right to be at the table when it comes to decision making.

01:06We have a right to take up space and a right to use our voice.

01:11The immediate priority at the time was fixing the council's financial sustainability

01:15because Nhu-Atali recognised that that was absolutely fundamental to our ability to deliver anything else.

01:21We'd seen a council that, because of its financial position,

01:24had really struggled to invest in the programs and the infrastructure that our city required.

01:29Things like the light rail project, the urban renewal of the city centre

01:33and some of the big economic development projects and programs across the city.

01:38I've seen for myself the impact Nhu-Atali's had reaching out to people outside of Newcastle

01:44into the political system of Macquarie Street or down in Canberra.

01:48And that's been true while Labor's been in government, but it was also true with the former government.

01:53She was a persuasive arm twister when it came to coalition ministers,

01:58when it came to representing the interests of ARNTA.

02:01I think one of the biggest changes has been from the outside in,

02:06where there are people talking about Newcastle and wanting to visit Newcastle,

02:12wanting to fly into Newcastle Airport.

02:15When outside the region there's interest about our region and it's positive,

02:20it's a real sign of positive change.

02:23Nhu-Atali, as the Lord Mayor, has really played a pivotal role

02:27in helping an anchor institution such as the University of Newcastle,

02:30and particularly the city centre.

02:32Two particular buildings I'd like to probably call out is our new space building,

02:36which opened in 2018, and our Q building for innovation, which opened up in 2022.

02:43And I think that what we've been doing in terms of revitalisation of the city itself has been very important,

02:49particularly for our international students.

02:53Nhu-Atali Nelms has been a passionate and committed advocate

02:56for community groups and initiatives in Newcastle,

02:59and I've certainly seen that during my time leading the Got Your Back Sister charity.

03:03And it was actually Nhu-Atali that inspired the city of Newcastle

03:06to become a charity partner, which we've loved and have been the charity partner for six years.

03:12I was only seven when mum became mayor, and so I was in kindergarten,

03:16and she was juggling a lot and stuff, and she was still able to be a mum to me,

03:20whilst stepping into such a big role.

03:22She honestly put her best foot forward.

03:24There was lots of things that didn't go away at certain times, but she always stayed strong.

03:29Even if people weren't supporting her, she was still trying to do right by Newcastle,

03:33which isn't that easy, so that's something I'm really proud of,

03:36just her strong-willed nature in that she's always putting Newcastle first.

03:43Noah, you have so much to be proud of.

03:46So many of us are proud of you.

03:49You were a fabulous Lord Mayor.

03:52We miss you a lot, and we're very grateful for everything you did and how you did it.

03:58Thank you for being an incredible support for me as a councillor.

04:03Thank you for all of the work that you did behind the scenes,

04:06and thank you for really living your Labor values.

04:10I'm so proud to have worked alongside you as a colleague and as a friend.

04:14I know you've got a significant future ahead of you,

04:16and I can't wait to continue to work with you on that journey.

04:19The evolution of the region on a global scale makes me both personally and professionally

04:26very excited about the potential of the region into the future,

04:31and that positioning was largely led by you.

04:34Thanks for everything you've done for Newcastle, but also for the Labor Party.

04:39You've been an inspiration and a true leader.

04:41Thank you for your leadership.

04:43It's been a fantastic partnership between the University and the City of Newcastle,

04:47and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

04:50What I've always admired about you, Noah Tarley, is your passion and commitment to Newcastle,

04:54its people, our sports and the arts community, and also our charities.

05:00You're a hero in our eyes.

05:02I take so much inspiration from you,

05:05and we are all very grateful to have had such an amazing role model

05:10that has not only been our mum, but also been a figure in Newcastle

05:14that has paved the way for Newcastle.

05:16I'm very proud of the work you've done as the Lord Mayor of Newcastle for the last 10 years,

05:21and you've been in the game for a long time.

05:24So it's very good innings, and you've earned a nice break,

05:28and I'm very thankful and very grateful, and I love you.

05:32Hey mum, thanks for being such a good role model to me all these years.

05:35You've truly shown me what it is to be a leader,

05:38and have really inspired me, and I'm really proud of you for that.

05:41So thank you mum, I love you.

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