Merri Southwood
Merri has been a resident of Greenwich for over 35 years. She and her husband, John, made Greenwich home in 1988. She loves East Ward - its bushland, its waterways, its proximity to the vibrant commercial centres of Lane Cove and Crows Nest. She also values the strong sense of community in East Ward.
She was involved in community and school organisations from 1988 to 2021. Merri cherished her community engagement with Greenwich Public School, local high schools, and the Greenwich Community Association. As President of North Sydney Boys' High School Council, she helped raise funds for a mezzanine level in the school hall.
Born in Australia, she spent her early years in Indonesia and Hong Kong. Merri completed her secondary education in Sydney and Johannesburg, followed by a BA, LLB (University of Sydney), and LLM (UTS, specialising in Industrial Law and Dispute Resolution).
After 8 years in legal practice, she transitioned to teaching commercial law, business ethics, and governance at TAFE NSW. In her final role, she supported international students and retired in 2020 to care for frail parents.
Merri also served for over 10 years as a committee member and President of the Greenwich Community Association, addressing local development issues. She coordinated responses to overdevelopment concerns in St Leonards and Crows Nest in 2018-19, collaborating across local government areas.
Merri’s experience with local community issues, government and governance processes led her to run for Council in 2021. She completed the UTS/LGNSW Executive Certificate for Elected Members to better understand the role.
“I'm proud to be part of a Council that has implemented key environmental initiatives and reinstated the Public Forum and I’m honoured to have been re-elected to continue this work.”
Merri prioritises time with her husband and four grandchildren. Her grandchildren's awareness of environmental and social issues influences her work as a Councillor.
Merri enjoys reading non-fiction and autobiographies, and for mindfulness, she knits.
If she gets a few free days, she visits Boomerang Beach, a special place for her family since she was 17, where she loves walking the dogs and exploring the Myall Lakes National Park.
Previous Affiliations
Former financial member of the ALP until 22 July 2021.