Mullumbimby comedian and writer, Mandy Nolan, has been preselected as the Greens candidate for the seat of Ballina in next year’s NSW state election.

Greens MP Tamara Smith has announced her retirement after representing Ballina for 11 years.

Byron Shire mayor Sarah Ndiaye and Ballina councillor Kiri Dicker also stood for preselection, but Ms Nolan was ultimately selected yesterday afternoon. (The three are pictured above.)

“It’s a big thing to go up against your colleagues in an internal selection process that makes its way into the media,” Ms Nolan said on a Facebook post last night.

She also paid tribute to incumbent Tamara Smith and promised to work hard to retain the seat for the Greens.

“I look forward to campaigning to retain the seat so I can serve this community, its waters and its wilderness, its rivers and its streets, its beaches and its backyards, its farmlands and its forests … and this melting pot of wonderful diverse humans that I have loved for nearly 35 years,” she said.

Ms Nolan has five children and describes herself as “a performer, comedian, MC, writer, author, artist, teacher, ambassador and activist”.

The 59-year-old was born in Wondai, Queensland, and stood as the Greens candidate for the seat of Richmond in the past two federal elections.

Ms Nolan has previously stated, “Why I do comedy, why I write, why I do everything is always because I want to give a voice to the unsaid, to the marginalised ideas or people or communities.

“That’s the most important thing to me. And getting into politics was exactly about that for me.”

Councillor Dicker led the congratulations yesterday, posting on social media, “Congratulations Mandy Nolan on being preselected as the Greens candidate for the NSW Election!

“Thanks to Sarah Ndiaye for having the guts to put her hat in the ring and encouraging me to do the same. Such a privilege to be able to serve our community with these total babes! ”

Picture: L to R, the three Greens preselection candidates, Sarah Ndiaye, Kiri Dicker and Mandy Nolan (credit: Kiri Dicker/Facebook)