Smith was preselected to stand as the Greens candidate for the state division of Ballina at the 2015 election against Nationals candidate Kris Beavis, after the retirement of Nationals incumbent Don Page. Tamara finished with 27 percent of the primary vote, an increase of 4.5 percent, and 53.1 percent of the two-candidate preferred vote after out-polling Labor party's Paul Spooner following the allocation of preferences.^[5]

Tamara is the first woman to hold the seat of Ballina, and the first regional Greens MP to represent a regional lower house seat in Australia.^[3]

First term (2015 - 2019) edit

Smith won Ballina at the 2015 State election.^[6] She joined two other Greens, Jamie Parker and Jenny Leong (member for Newtown) in the lower house of the New South Wales Parliament.

Second term (2019 - 2023) edit

Smith retained the seat of Ballina, with an increase of 4.7 percent of the primary vote and a 2.3 percent two-party swing in her favour, in the 2019 election.^[7]

Third term (2023 - ongoing) edit

Smith was re-elected as the Member for Ballina for a third time at the 2023 election, pushing the Nationals into second place, and with the overwhelming preference for her over the Nationals and Labor with a further increase of 4.0 percent of the primary vote.^[8]

In October 2023, Smith signed an open letter which condemned attacks against Israeli and Palestinian civilians during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.^[9]

Smith was a secondary school teacher for many years in Ballina and Central Australia before becoming a solicitor in 2012. Smith has also worked in the areas of social justice, Aboriginal affairs and public education advocacy and has a keen research interest in women’s rights and global warming.^[10]

Tamara is a Adjunct Professor in the School of Law and Justice at Southern Cross University, and a member of their Advisory Board.

Smith's family have lived in the Northern Rivers area for four generations. She has campaigned against the Howard government's WorkChoices scheme and coal seam gas.^[11]