Around 30 people gathered to show their support for Mr Jones and to meet NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson, Kempsey mayoral candidate Arthur Bain and Bellingen mayoral candidate Dominic King at the riverside picnic area.

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Cr Jones announced last month his intention to run under the Greens’ banner in the 14 September local government election.

On Sunday he confirmed his contention for the mayoral position.

Ms Higginson spoke to the gathering, encouraging all present to become politically active as the party fights to gain as many seats as possible in the upcoming Council elections.

“We are talking about the government level that is the most important government level we have,” she said.

“It is the level of government that is closest to grassroots democracy.

“Councils have an unbelievably important power because they are an advocacy organisation with a direct voice to State and Federal Parliaments.”

With just 34 days to go until the election, Ms Higginson attempted to rouse the Greens faithful into action.

“Between now and the election, you cannot have any conversations unless it involves the Greens – let’s make a pact here and now,” she urged.

“This election is looking good for some of the places where we really need to grow our voice on Council and Nambucca is one of those places.

“We are super lucky that David is standing up,” she said.

Mr Jones told his supporters that running for the Greens, as opposed to as an independent, clearly signalled the values he espoused.

“This is a Greens campaign,” he said.

“It’s not a David Jones campaign – nobody cares about him.

“By running a Greens campaign we are communicating very clearly to people that they have a choice to vote for those core values (of the Greens),” he said.

One of these core values is “First Nations justice”, according to Ms Higginson.

Cr Jones said he believed there had been a strong Indigenous voice in Nambucca Valley Council, which he hoped would continue into the future.

A temporary campaign office will be set up in the main street of Nambucca Heads from next week and the mayoral hopeful said he would be available to passersby at this location.

“I’m just going to sit out on the street and chat to people,” he said.

In describing the party’s motivations, Ms Higginson also focussed on the plight of protesters who face increasingly strengthened anti-protest legislation.

“(Past Greens leader) Bob Brown will face court (again) on Wednesday.

“Our Bob, a literal champion of our movement, is now a convicted felon,” she said, referencing a magistrate’s ruling last week that Mr Brown was guilty of trespassing during an anti-logging demonstration in Tasmania in November 2022.

The term ‘Lawfare’, has been coined to describe the use of legal institutions to delegitimise, damage or waste the time and money of those who speak up on issues.

Ms Higginson described a broken legal system which the Greens are committed to fixing by installing their people in all levels of government.

“We have Greens people across many councils of the Mid North Coast – Kempsey, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour,” former mayor and sitting Bellingen Shire councillor Dominic King told NOTA.

“The Nambucca Valley was a bit of a gap, but we are delighted that David has stepped in to fill that space,” he said.

The Greens have sitting candidates in all of the above electorates and in the upcoming election, each one of these regions has a candidate who is also running for mayor.

By Ned COWIE