Tamworth Regional Council elections 2021: Moonbi local Judy Coates stands for council with focus on mental health

JUDY COATES isn't afraid of heights, or setting the bar higher.

A wife to Tim, a mother, a nonna and a resident of the Tamworth region for more than 20 years, she believes a stable and supportive family unit is one of the keys to a safe and progressive community.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, she said her many years of personal and professional accomplishments stand her in good stead for a seat at the Tamworth Regional Council table.

Standing as an independent for the December 4 election, the Moonbi local worked as a physiotherapist for more than 30 years before her retirement last year.

But an urge to make a difference in her community and a passion for advocacy left her wanting more.

"Since then I have focused on family, my garden, as well as fundraising for one of my greatest passions - mental health," she said.

"I am currently refreshing my skills as a crisis support worker with Lifeline Australia, and I regularly speak to local groups about health and wellness. Now I am putting my hand up to stand up for this amazing area and community that I call home."

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Her passion for mental health recently saw her hike the Larapinta Trail with a group to raise more than $125,000 for the Black Dog Institute.

It's the reason why she chose to bring along hiking boots and poles as her item of significance for her interview with the Leader at the Oxley Lookout.

"I have lots of friends and family that have mental health issues and I'm blessed not to," she explained.

"I did many, many training walks with those boots and polls, and quite a lot of them were up to the Oxley Lookout."

Health equity and accessibility, water security and better communication will all be high on her agenda if elected.

"Water is predominately a state issue however as a council we need to really lobby for what's going to be best for the region," she said.

"We need improvement in communication between council and the community because there's a lot of misconceptions about what council does.

"Particularly in the smaller towns and villages, a lot of them feel totally left out.

"Communication is at the core of all interactions and issues - be it accessibility, sustainability, diversity, prosperity or the spirit of our community."

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