Willoughby City Mayor Tanya Taylor Running Again
Growing up in a small mining village on the west coast of Tasmania, community has always been in Tanya Taylor’s heart. Even after moving to the dense, lively Willoughby over 20 years ago, a far cry from her 2,000 population hometown, Tanya remains chasing the intimacy of involved communities.
Her record of community participation and output is extensive. Prior to joining Willoughby City Council, and assuming the mayoral position, Tanya worked with Sailors Bay Sea Scouts, Willoughby Community Special Needs Preschool, Cancer Council NSW, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, and was the Willoughby Public School PNC President.
Despite this, Tanya wanted to give more, delve deeper into community and leave Willoughby a better place than she found it. Encouraged and inspired by her children, Tanya Taylor ran a candidacy for Willoughby City Council in 2021 and became the third popularly elected female mayor in Willoughby’s 159-year history.
For this September Local Government Elections, Mayor Taylor is running a ticket.
‘We have achieved a lot,’ explains Mayor Taylor. ‘But there is so much more that we can do… getting things through that we have started. I want to continue to strengthen and build the community connections that we have in Willoughby.’
Under Tanya Taylor’s governance, Willoughby City Council have been able to make strides across all four wards. In the West Ward, Chatswood Oval improvements were made, and planning gin underway for the Chatswood CBD. In Middle Harbour, Muston Park, Willoughby Park, and Beauchamp Park were enhanced, and a new lease was placed for Willoughby Park Bowling Club. In Sailors Bay, the Willoughby Leisure Centre was upgraded, and Northbridge Public School saw Kiss and Drop improvements. In the Naremburn Ward, Artarmon Village and Naremburn Village were upgraded, and Artarmon Pavilion redevelopment is underway.
For Tanya, the Active Travel Program for Willoughby Public School is a point of pride. ‘It was something I had instigated prior to becoming the mayor,’ says Tanya. ‘We piloted a walking bus program. Council took that and developed a program whereby the kids have identified some safe routes to school. Now there are four active travel routes.’
As a result, student participation in walking, cycling, and scootering has increased by 10 per cent. Mayor Taylor believes, with time, this can be rolled out to other schools across the Local Government Area.
There are several pressing matters that the next Willoughby City Council are destined to address, and Mayor Tanya wants a seat at the table. Namely, the state government planning reforms.
‘Ensuring that infrastructure is delivered in accordance with the density we can expect in Willoughby. That includes open space, sport and recreation facilities, good public transport connections, making sure the bus interchange and movement at Chatswood CBD is looked at,’ explains Mayor Taylor.
Alongside her mayoral ticket, Tanya is running in Sailors Bay Ward, in large part to ensure that female representation in Willoughby City Council remains.
‘We need to do better,’ she explains. ‘We need more female representatives. We have more females than males in Willoughby. We need to back ourselves… we need to back other women.’
