Sydney-based professional Olly Arkins, who has plenty of music industry experience, has been unanimously elected as the new Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney.
In a statement posted on LinkedIn this week, Arkins said she’s “proud” to enter the new role. She added, “Since being elected to Council in 2024, I have been working hard to make Sydney a fairer, more fun city.
“If you have any ideas or would like to chat, please get in touch,” linking to her website.
CityHub notes that Arkins is the first openly trans person elected to the City of Sydney.
Last month, it was announced that Arkins was stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Festival Association.
Arkins led the AFA through one of the most tumultuous periods for Australia’s music festival industry, with the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting inflation greatly impacting costs to host festivals and punters’ spending habits.
Her achievements include advocating for the federal government to introduce and then increase its Revive Live funding, including dedicated support for music festivals, and leading the charge to rewrite and reform festival legislation in NSW.
Additionally, Arkins secured new funding opportunities for festivals via the NSW and Victorian governments, helped establish pill-testing services at music festivals, delivered national research into the industry, improved terms for festivals via the renegotiated OneMusic licence scheme, and boosted the AFA’s voice in national and state policy discussions.
Arkins has four major priorities regarding her new position as Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney. She aims to target affordable housing, “the fruition of Special Entertainment Precincts,” seeking a new, permanent home for FBi Radio, and more.
“I ran for Council because I have lived in Sydney at its best: fun, welcoming, diverse and affordable,” Arkins explained, per CityHub. “I have also lived it at its worst: lockout laws, eye-watering rents and policing policies that attempted to put music festivals out of business.
“I know what it takes to get the balance right. Delivering quality council services for our residents, while continuing to progress as the creative, welcoming and social place we all know we can be.”
Arkins added, “We can take our place as a global city, while deeply respecting our history — particularly that of First Nations people, whose culture should be at the forefront of how we set policy.
“I’m ready to get to work on making Sydney a city that’s easy and enjoyable to live in, and one people around the world are desperate to visit.”
