But there is no doubt that she is a woman of character who believes in getting it right rather than in a rush. 

That steadiness of hand was rewarded in the August local government election with another landslide victory – she was re-elected with more than twice as many votes as the runner-up. 

“I’m not an extrovert – I just get things done. It demonstrates that you don’t need to be loud. People recognise that I do my best to do a good job.” 

She thanked the people of Palmerston for their trust and support, her family for standing beside her and City of Palmerston staff for their “tireless commitment” to the community. 

“Looking ahead, my focus will be on strengthening the sense of connection that makes Palmerston unique. Together, we will support families, encourage local business, enhance liveability and build a more inclusive and vibrant city. 

“None of this can be achieved alone – it will take collaboration across all sectors, and I look forward to working side by side with our community. 

“Over the next four years, I commit to serving with integrity, energy and dedication.” 

Ms Pascoe-Bell came to prominence a decade ago when she fought against the then dysfunctional council until it was disbanded by the Northern Territory Government two years later. 

She romped home in the mayoral election that followed – and immediately set about establishing transparent and honest governance. 

Ms Pascoe-Bell is proud that the City of Palmerston’s reputation as a stable, well-managed council has led to about $50 million in Federal and Territory government grants, including a $12.5 million contribution to the $20 million SWELL water park. 

“We put a lot of effort into preparing quality business cases for projects and consulting the community before applying for grants. That gives other levels of government confidence that our projects, such as SWELL, will be successful and have community backing.” 

SWELL, which is still free to swimmers, is enormously popular, particularly with families. 

The Mayor has gained a reputation not just for getting community projects up and running but also for heading a local government authority where party politics are largely left at the council chamber door. 

Some of the seven Palmerston councillors are strong supporters of political parties but still work together for the common good. 

“I’m independent,” Ms Pascoe-Bell says. “I don’t have political affiliations. As Mayor, I control debates and make sure that councillors know that party politics is for other levels of government, not us. 

“We are elected to look after the needs of the community. If councillors put party politics first they are not serving the community properly.” 

As the busy head of Australia’s fastest-growing city, the Mayor has to use all her time-management skills to spend as much quality time as possible with her husband Shane and children, Hayden, 17, and 13-year-old Keira. 

“Unfortunately, I’m nearly always busy in the afternoons, which is when the kids get home from school. But we try to go away together during school holidays. That’s important.” 

For the record, Ms Pascoe-Bell gained 7015 of the 13,887 votes cast in August.