In that time (and in between raising a rather talented family) she has been master of the businesses services unit, septic tank register, health and compliance policy, and cemetery administration – to name just a few of the hats she’s worn.

Plus she’s the indoor union representative.

So it is very little wonder that she was chosen to fight the good fight for our little Shire as the grants officer when the job vacancy came up two years ago.

“I suppose it helps with the grant writing that I’ve got a background in accounting too,” Teresa said.

The Nambucca Shire Council first introduced the position of grants officer about 10 years ago, under the initiative of mayor Rhonda Hoban – a move that has proved to be remarkably beneficial to the Valley.

“We’ve been lucky enough to have two very good grants officers in that time,” council general manager Michael Coulter said, referencing former grants officer Colleen Henry.

But under Teresa’s stewardship, the role and its workload has increased to a full-time capacity.

2017 saw Teresa and team apply for 70 grants on behalf of the Nambucca Shire Council. 

Of those 70, 31 were successful and 18 were unsuccessful (21 are still outstanding), establishing a more than 60 percent strike rate.

“Yeah, we’ve had a pretty good success rate,” Teresa said.

She believes that the Nambucca Shire Council being declared fit for the future was the ultimate ballast for securing future grants.

She is being modest here, of course.

So successful has the Nambucca been at nabbing state and federal handouts that other (sometimes much larger) councils have started to sit up and take notice, often calling to ask for advice.

And while it may seem like an easy enough task to go cap in hand, metaphorically speaking, no two grant applications are the same, deadlines ring out like a death knell (sometimes all at once) and the job comes with the challenge of learning to be fluent in ‘grant-ese’.

“For the first three months it felt quite foreign,” Teresa said.

“I’ve always loved the written word so I found it to be a really satisfying challenge to get my head around the language.”

She says that after a three-day training course down in Sydney, she had an epiphany and was able to compartmentalise the different aspects of a grant application, until finally she felt as though she was no longer “wading” through bureaucracy but able to “swim freely through it”.

“And I love it, I really do,” Teresa said.

"I’m a Nambucca Valley girl through and through, and I just love this place – I embrace the whole community.”

Teresa says the most resounding sense of accomplishment last year came from the double rainbow of grant funding for the Lanes Bridge replacement in Bowraville.

“I wasn’t sure we’d be successful, but I wanted to give it a go, so I wrote the business case for the Federal Government’s Bridges Renewal Program,” Teresa said.

In September last year, the council received news that it had been successful in securing $1 million of the grant funding towards the replacement.

“I was just so thrilled that we got the million, but then we’ve just found out from the State Government that we were successful in obtaining a further $500,000 for the project from their Fixing Country Roads, Fixing Country Rail, and Bridges for the Bush programs, and that was a really special moment,” Teresa said.

“It just feels so good to know that you’ve had a big win for the community.

“And Lanes bridge is so important for freight and for the continuing prosperity of the Valley.”

Teresa has already chalked up another big win for the Valley in 2018 alongside council colleague Keith Williams: $2 million from the State Government for the continuation of the cycleway that will eventually connect Macksville and Nambucca Heads.

But for Teresa, the big wins are just as important as the little ones.

Since her tenure as grants officer, Bellwood Park, Valla Beach and Scotts Head Tennis Clubs, Shelly Beach, Gordon Park, and the Macksville Foreshore and Ferry St, have all had infrastructure revamps.

“They might seem small, but they mean a lot for the communities who regularly use these public spaces,” Teresa said.

Teresa often works with local committees of management and sports clubs to secure funding for their needs.

“One of Teresa’s personal strengths as grants officer is that she works very well with the community,” Michael Coulter said.

Secretary of the Nambucca Heads Offshore Fishing Club Rhett Smyth is also quick with praise for Teresa’s efforts in reeling in grants from the state Recreational Fishing Trust and the Boating Now programs.

And she’s got a lot of work ahead of her still with three Expressions of Interest (EOI) to prepare for the NSW Regional Sports Infrastructure Grants program, as the Phillip Hughes Oval upgrade joins the applications for the Nambucca Valley Connections precinct (in Bowraville) and the Macksville Memorial Aquatic Centre upgrades.

“It will be full-on for the next twelve months in the lead up to the elections,” Michael Coulter said.

But she’s excited rather than daunted at climbing the mountain ahead and, ever the organiser, has already started to map her future.

“I see myself staying in the role for a while,” Teresa said.

“But when the kids leave I’d love to end up on the committee of the Bowraville Arts Council.

“I think the future for regional communities is in art and culture.”