My speech for candidate’s evenings

admin May 19th, 2008

I was once a Primary School teacher and then went back to Uni, after having my two children, and qualified as a Librarian. I grew up in Victoria, where I lived in both the city and the country. I moved to Bundaberg in 1993, where I met Graham and together we moved to Darwin for 4.5 years where I managed the main Casuarina library. I moved here over 9 years ago now and adore living at Dundowran Beach just a little bit outside Hervey Bay. There were no traffic lights back then and I was considered to live ‘out of town’. My don’t things change fast! I became interested in becoming a Councillor when I felt that our coast was in danger of becoming another Gold Coast. This still worries me greatly. I don’t want to live the ‘big city’ lifestyle.

I want to preserve and protect our natural environment but just as importantly I would like us to move towards building a sustainable economy. An economy that embraces the skills and knowledge of residents throughout our entire community.

If we look to the future we can provide only so much water and develop so much land, before we run out of these natural resources. Population cannot continue to grow and grow and grow forever. Our new Council must ensure we have strict controls placed on development approvals and that we don’t let development compromise our natural environment and water ways. Sensible road networks must be planned for now.

Over the last 2 years I have learned a lot and believe I have the skills needed to try and influence change, especially within our Planning Schemes, and within our policies, to ensure that our Council delivers what the community wants. I do remember however, that working within Council is a team effort. We must all remember that it is not Council’s job to tell you what is good for you it is your job to tell your Council what is good for you!

I want much less red tape and I want our Council to ‘get back to the basics’. I want sensible decisions to be based on common sense and good old fashioned excellent customer service. I don’t believe that our community demands more than it used to. I think we all simply expect decent service and decent facilities and that our Government doesn’t waste our money! I believe that we deserve to receive excellent services no matter where we live.

I want Council to treat everyone with care. It isn’t enough to turn up to Council meetings and simply vote on the reports that the staff provide for us. Councillors must be proactive and progress change. If our Laws and our legislation don’t provide the outcomes we want then we must change them. I believe I have developed the skills needed to progress changes within the Council structure. In Council meetings I often put motions and amendments forward for consideration. A motion, such as the recent Council Traveston Dam submission, which thankfully was supported by the majority of our Councillors, was a recent example.

I promise to do my very best if elected to our new Council. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes but I always try my best to do a good job!

I am confident that if we all work together we will ensure our Fraser Coast region stays the happiest place in Australia!

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