Councillor Meredith Dennis (OAM) was elected to Tweed Shire Council in 2021 as an independent.
Born in South Australia, and growing up on a dairy farm in the Adelaide Hills, Cr Dennis trained as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital before moving to Sydney where she owned and operated several retail businesses. With a taste for travel, Cr Dennis has experienced much of the globe, with Africa and Greece being favourite destinations.
A resident of Limpinwood, Cr Dennis concluded a short-lived retirement to return to nursing and caregiving through the Dept. of Veteran Affairs, as her father was a World War II veteran.
Cr Dennis has an extensive volunteer portfolio reflecting her love of the Tweed and its people. She is actively involved with the Tweed Regional Art Gallery, Murwillumbah Hospital and Hospital Auxiliary, a wildlife carer and local Landcare affiliate. A keen interest in agriculture saw Cr Dennis elected as President of the Tweed River Agricultural Society.
Fundraising forms a large part of her volunteer philosophy, raising funds for hospital equipment, patient support and palliative care. In 1998 Cr Dennis was one of the founding members of Tweed Palliative Support: an organisation providing support and practical assistance for palliative patients in the Tweed. In 2009, Cr Dennis was a driving force behind the purchase and opening of Wedgetail Retreat, NSW’s only community hospice. The hospice has now been open for 9 years with no government funding but operates with the support of the local community, predominantly provided by money raised in the palliative care op shops. Cr Dennis has been the President of Tweed Palliative Support for more than 15 years.
Between 2001 and 2019, Cr Dennis has received regular awards for her service to the community, including Tweed Volunteer of the Year, Tweed Citizen of the Year and the NSW Government Community Service Award. In 2015 Cr Dennis was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community and palliative care, and in 2016 was a finalist for Australian of the Year (Local Hero category).
Cr Dennis’ vision:
“I decided to run for Council because I was very concerned with some of the over development in some areas and the issues affecting our environment. I wanted to be involved in the decision making. Caring for our community, our beautiful environment and wildlife is everyone’s responsibility and I am very proud to play my part as an elected independent Councillor of Tweed Shire Council.”