The Greens

I have been a candidate for Councillor at Kiama Council on two occasions: Once with Ruth Devenney’s team and secondly on a Kiama Greens team.

I have been increasingly concerned with the current direction of Kiama Council, in relation to environmental policies, development consents, lack of transparency, governance and a lack of genuine community consultation. This became most apparent for me when Kiama Council announced the proposal for a boardwalk along Minnamurra River. Although I have previously been on two tickets for councillor, I had not felt the urgency to be selected as I do presently.

There is a paucity of diverse and environmental voices on this current council and a serious lack of gender balance. Until we address this imbalance I feel that our Council doesn’t reflect the community within which it governs and doesn’t serve the common values we hold dear in our municipality. The qualities I can bring to the position of Kiama Councillor is a strong sense of social and environmental justice and the need to protect our most vulnerable in the community.

I am not afraid to speak my mind and can converse with all sections of our community with compassion, I am also a good listener. I am science literate and can absorb and comprehend significant amounts of information in a short time frame; most appropriate for Council Business papers.

As a casual Secondary Teacher I will not be employed in a full time work capacity and hence am able and determined to work extremely hard in the capacity of councillor as a voice for our environment.

EDUCATION:

KANAHOOKA High School HSC completed 1989-1992

UOW – Bachelor of Nutrition 1993-1994

TAFE NSW – Diploma of Conservation and Land Management 2008-2009

Certificate III TAFE – NSW Animal Husbandry 2010

Kiama Community College – Certificate III Business Administration 2010-2015

UOW – Bachelor of Science Education

EMPLOYMENT:

1989-1993 Waitress - Various businesses

1990-2000 Secondary Maths Tutor – Self Employed

1993-1995 Wollongong Hospital – Provisional Dietitian

2004-2010 Bush Regenerator- Self-employed and for various Bush regeneration companies

2016-Present Casual Secondary Science Teacher - Various High Schools

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

1990-Present Coordinator of Bombo Headland Landcare Group

2017-Present Secretary Landcare Illawarra

2018-Present Member of Friends of Minnamurra River

1990-Present Active in various environmental/Animal welfare/Human Rights groups (Amnesty, Animals Australia, The Wilderness Society, Extinction Rebellion and others)

Authorised by Howard R Jones 407 Free Selectors Road, Foxground NSW 2534