Are you a member of a political party, political group, or community advocacy group?
No
What is the most important issue facing your electorate?
State government new housing quotas mean the council will need to carefully plan all new developments to ensure we don’t allow concrete towers to be built without the requisite infrastructure and community spaces. We’ve seen in neighbouring councils these hellscape developments allowed to proceed but nobody wants to live in or near them.
Should/how can Council support local businesses?
The local economy is an ecosystem. I will take a holistic approach to supporting local business by considering liveability which attracts both workers and customers for our businesses as well as policies and services which directly meet the needs of our business residents.
Should/how can Council help alleviate the impact of climate extremes on local communities and ecosystems?
Sustainability and climate resilience actions need to be a part of every decision and plan that we as a council enact. It is often the less obvious aspects of environmental responsibility that get ignored. Recycling is an obvious issue but what about the materials used to build council infrastructure projects? The former gets attention but the latter needs planning, scrutiny and accountability.
Should/how can Council help alleviate cost of living and homelessness?
Through a combination of approaches including direct services for people already struggling as well as creation of affordable housing, more local jobs and support for linking available resources with those who need them.
Should the public be allowed to ask live, unscripted questions of councillors during council meetings?
While I believe council must be accessible and accountable to our residents I also believe that the loudest voices should not be the only voices heard. I therefore would support multiple channels for questions to council that support a diversity of voices being heard and answered including live and digital channels where both the questions and the answers are available for all to access.
Can you please provide a short personal statement detailing what your priorities are if elected, and what your vision for your electorate looks like.
My primary objective in standing for council is to bring a balanced and open mind to the discussions and decision making process. Too often people stand for council because they have one burning issue they believe in passionately and want to see changed but offer no value on the thousand other issues the council will need to consider during their term. I’m not here to push my own burning agenda. I love our local community and culture and intend to serve that community with fair consideration of the issues at hand with a view to enhancing what we have as we grow and thrive.
