Olly Arkins, who led the Australian Festival Association through major festival law reforms, has been elected Sydney’s first openly trans deputy lord mayor. The move comes two years after Arkins joined the City of Sydney Council, and she took office this week after being voted in by her colleagues.
“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,” Arkins said.
Arkins’ Path to Council
Arkins grew up in Sydney and has spent her career pushing for better conditions for the city’s residents. She ran for council in 2024, saying she had seen both the best and worst of the city.
“I ran for Council because I have lived in Sydney at its best; fun, welcoming, diverse and affordable. 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,” she said in a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Her platform touched on affordability, livability and cultural life. She wants Sydney to feel welcoming to visitors while remaining an easy place to call home.
Her Record at the AFA
Arkins stepped down from the Australian Festival Association last month, after a five-year stint that produced significant policy wins. Her biggest achievement, she told Billboard, was rewriting the Music Festivals Act in New South Wales, which resulted in reforms passed by the state parliament in September 2024.
While leading the trade body, Arkins pushed for federal Revive Live funding, including dedicated support for music festivals. She helped bring drug-checking services to festivals in Victoria and New South Wales. She renegotiated the OneMusic licence scheme to secure better terms for music festivals.
She also worked on:
- Advocating for the federal government to establish and increase Revive Live funding
- Securing drug-checking services at festivals in both states
- Renegotiating the OneMusic licence scheme
- Supporting special entertainment precincts
- Investing in affordable housing
- Backing landmark events like Yabun and Mardi Gras
- Serving as deputy chair of the cultural, creative and nightlife committee
- Serving as co-chair of the creative and nightlife advisory panel
- Serving as a board member of local government New South Wales
The Historic Appointment
Arkins’ election makes her the first openly trans deputy lord mayor of Australia’s most populous city. She was voted in unanimously, which speaks to the strength of her position within the council.
Two years ago, in September 2024, Arkins became the first trans councillor elected to the City of Sydney.
What She Wants to Fix
Arkins’ vision for Sydney includes fixing the problems she described in her statement. Lockout laws, high rents and policing policies that targeted music festivals all figured in her description of why she ran.
Her work at the AFA addressed some of those issues directly. The Music Festivals Act reforms she championed were a major legislative win, and the drug-checking services she secured are now operating across both states.
The Broader Context
Arkins has spent years building relationships across the music industry. Her work with the AFA put her at the centre of national conversations about festival law, licensing and funding.
| Role | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Chief executive officer | Australian Festival Association |
| Deputy lord mayor | City of Sydney |
| Deputy chair | Cultural, creative and nightlife committee |
| Co-chair | Creative and nightlife advisory panel |
| Board member | Local government New South Wales |
Why This Matters
Arkins’ appointment is a milestone for transgender representation in Australian politics. It also signals a council that has elevated someone whose background spans both culture and policy.
Her record shows a politician who knows how to work systems. She took on the Music Festivals Act, a complex piece of legislation, and won. She secured drug-checking services in two states. She renegotiated a national licensing scheme.
These are not small achievements. They required persistence, coalition-building and technical skill.
Our View
This is a win for representation and for policy. Arkins brings a proven track record to her new role, and her history with the AFA suggests she knows how to get things done.
The deputy lord mayor’s job is about shaping the city. Arkins has spent her career doing exactly that, and now she gets to do it at the highest level of local government.
Sydney has elected its first openly trans deputy lord mayor, and she arrives with a record of achievement.
Source material: “Ex-AFA CEO Olly Arkins Appointed Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney,” Billboard.
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