Linda Scott (councillor)

Linda Scott is an Australian Labor Party Councillor on the City of Sydney Council, in Sydney, Australia, first elected in 2012.^[1] She is also a Director of Local Government NSW.

A strong supporter for reforming the Australian Labor Party, Scott won Labor's first ever community preselection, where over 4,000 people elected her to the Labor's candidate for Lord Mayor of Sydney in the 2012 NSW Local Government Elections.^[2] She defeated a host of other high-profile candidates to be selected.^[3]

Scott graduated with first class honours in Psychology from The University of New South Wales and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was an elected student member of the University's governing body, the University Council, which successfully overturned a policy to accept Full Fee-paying undergraduate students into the University. She served as a member alongside former Australian of the Year Dr John Yu and former Hawke Government Federal Education Minister Susan Ryan. She is also a former Convener of Labor for Refugees^[4][5] and former Chair of the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. She has volunteered for the State Emergency Service.

Since being elected, Scott has championed more responsible economic management for the City's budget.^[6]

She has also campaigned to save and increase inner city green spaces^[7][8] and burying cables underground to enable more curbside space to plant more trees.^[9] She successfully called on the City to invest in community and sporting infrastructure, like skating facilities,^[10][11] a new City Farm^[12] in Sydney Park and more sporting facilities.^[13]

Scott has sought City action to address housing affordability^[14] and a better deal for those in public housing.^[15]

A passionate supporter of the Recognise campaign, Linda has successfully moved to have signage identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait heritage names installed across the City of Sydney,^[16] following the idea championed by Hetti Perkins. She has fought strongly against the sale of heritage public housing in Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks,^[17] where her grandmother once lived, and campaigned to preserve the City's history^[18][19] and heritage.^[20]

A mother of two young children, Scott has also argued for significant investment in new early education and care centres and more before and after school care^[21][22] and public libraries.^[23][24] Her campaign to build a giant rainbow flag in recognition of the LGBT community in Sydney's Taylor Square saw the permanent monument erected in 2012.^[25][26] She is a passionate supporter of live music^[27] and good quality street art.^[28]

Scott lives with her husband and two sons in Newtown.

References