Putting Residents First

My Story

Hi I’m Nicola Wilson and I’m running as a candidate in the Noosa Shire Local Government (Council) elections in March 2024. I turned 50 last year and have had a busy and varied life so far! I grew up in Wales and England (Liverpool), studied English Literature at the University of Manchester then somehow became a Chartered Accountant before moving to Sydney on a skilled worker visa in 2002, living in Balmain, Coogee, Randwick and Mosman. I moved to Tewantin in 2019 (pre Covid!) and currently live in Cooroy. Being relatively new to the area gives me a fresh perspective – I’m not trying to hold on to the past, I don’t have long-held grievances, or ties with any interest groups, developers or associations. I’d love to bring my professional and life skills to Noosa Council to make sure residents are heard, and action is taken where needed.

My Background

My background is in finance and large corporates, including Andersen, EY, Caltex, Qantas and Fairfax. I largely worked in analyst and business valuation roles. I’ve also been the CFO of a small business in Sydney, and had my own consulting practice editing and proofreading. For the last 9 years I’ve mostly worked in tertiary education – designing and teaching courses in accounting and financial modelling. I’ve loved working in education and helping my students in the early days of their careers, but working remotely for a number of years has been isolating. After leaving Sydney for the wonderful lifestyle Noosa has to offer, I’d really like to work with and serve the people in my community. I’ve been lucky to meet great people in the area so far through my various hobbies and volunteer positions, and as a marriage celebrant.

My Skills

  • Business and Financial acumen
  • Communication – written and verbal
  • Confident public speaker
  • Ability to absorb and analyse complex data
  • Summarising and explaining information
  • Report writing and presentations
  • Quick witted, approachable
  • Relatable, practical
  • Proven success in senior positions

My Vision

Residents have identified a number of issues that have not been sufficiently addressed by the current council. In my view, the most important are lack of housing and looking after our environment, specifically

  • Limiting short term accommodation approvals to open up more housing for residents, and enforcing existing rules to improve amenity for residents in the vicinity of STAs
  • Governance and transparency – ensuring value for money for ratepayers, and ensuring basic services are maintained for all
  • Limiting population growth protecting the community and environment from overdevelopment

Volunteer Work

I’m not a well-known name when it comes to campaigning, but those who know me, know I work hard and achieve results. I’m always more about meeting purposeful goals for the greater good, and not out for personal gain.

I’ve been trusted as Treasurer and Secretary in several not-for-profit organisations (both in Sydney and the Sunshine Coast) for many years, and elected to positions locally in the ALP. I’m also on the board of CAYAC charity in Maroochydore.