These are some questions I’ve been asked by community members so far
What’s your position on the environment?
That’s a broad topic but as a general principle I want to protect and preserve our environment as much as possible. I am against development of the Cooloola Great Walk. I don’t want to see further development along the foreshore or the beach area, national parks etc. I’d also like to see less reliance on cars and better waste management. I’d like to see more adoption of EV’s and clean energy in general.
Restrictions on STA
I’m learning more and more about this topic as I talk to residents and really want to hear your views and how I could best represent you in resolving this issue.
At a basic level, I’d like to see further reviews of zonings and current approvals, and greater compliance with existing rules.
- Faster and harsher penalties for non-compliance (unregulated STL) with a view to returning homes to the rental/sales market for residents
- No new approvals in ‘resident’ zones
- Review existing zones and approvals, with a view to returning homes to the rental/sales market for residents
Affiliation with local groups:
My main interests are around music and musical theatre. I have been a member of some local choirs, performed with Coolum Theatre Players (cabaret in 2023) and volunteered with Noosa Arts Theatre. I am a director and secretary of a Sunshine Coast charity. I don’t attend any churches.
Political Party membership
I joined the Labor Party in May 2019 when I first moved to Noosa, as a way to meet people who share similar values.
My membership of the party shows that I am politically engaged and understand processes that would also be relevant in local government. It also says a lot about my work ethic since all my involvement is as a volunteer. When I join any group or committee, I’m there to roll up my sleeves and put my skills to use. I’m not there to raise my profile or simply smile for the camera.
As a councillor, I’d also give 100% commitment and use the facts at hand, including the wishes of the people I represent, to form my own conclusions, guided by my moral compass.
I am not funded in any way by the ALP or any unions, nor will the party provide any ‘party machine’ to my campaign. But I do have some knowledge of state and federal policy that may be useful where these intersect with local government matters.
Potential conflicts of interest
I’ve lived in the Noosa area for almost 5 years. While that may be seen as a disadvantage (and I acknowledge I have a lot to learn about some key local issues that have been ongoing for many years), I can also bring a fresh and objective perspective. I learn quickly and enjoy getting immersed in topics that I care about.
I have no family in Australia, no relationships with developers, no business interests. I don’t have any preconceived ideas about how Noosa should be, or any attachment to the past. I don’t owe anyone any favours, and I am an independent thinker with an analytical mind. As an accountant I am naturally sceptical, and look at all facts carefully in making decisions. We learn to ‘follow the money’ to determine who is benefitting from any proposal, and make sure there is an ‘audit trail’ of supporting evidence.
While my political membership may give you some idea of where my values lie, I often disagree with the party’s position and have been involved in internal debate and submitting motions urging state and federal governments to take alternative actions on (for example) environmental issues, housing and addressing poverty. As an example, in 2023 I moved a resolution calling on the Environment Minister (Minister Scanlon at the time) to abandon plans for commercial development inside Cooloola National Park, and subsequently met with the Minister to discuss.
Priorities and plans if elected
It’s clear from community feedback that council has lost direction in recent years. Residents and businesses have been seeking transformational change to address a number of key issues, including
- Traffic management
- Environmental protection
- Community values
- Population and visitor growth management
- Waste management
- Youth engagement
- Community amenity
- Accommodation
I agree with the issues identified in the “Summary Of Community Engagement Process And Key Themes – Destination Management Plan Discussion Paper”, both in articulating the key problems (above) and the action required (fairly broad in this paper).
As a councillor, my top three priorities would be to address the accommodation, environmental protection and population and visitor growth management issues. Any gains made in these three would have a positive impact on most of the others by default.
While I do not have sufficient information to suggest more detailed solutions, I can say that I would be committed to reviewing the information already available, seeking clarification where needed, and making recommendations based on that information. In particular, I agree with the community’s concerns around short term accommodation taking over Noosa, lack of affordable long-term housing for workers, both on the coast and in the hinterland, and would seek to address that as a priority.
Some members of the community have suggested that all candidates and incumbent councillors should be able to articulate detailed policies for key issues, but I don’t see running for council as a one-person manifesto. The beauty of being on council rather than an MP, is that it is a team effort with the mayor and other councillors, and a contest of ideas. In addition, the work of council staff and the CEO is hugely important to developing proposals based on a rich sources of data and analysis. While I may have personal opinions on the issues facing the shire, and am learning as much as I can from public resources and the community, I don’t yet have the resources to develop solutions. If elected, I will use my skills to absorb and understand all of the relevant information and listen to the views of the electorate before making decisions.
Why vote for me?
It’s clear from the community feedback in the above report that council needs a shake up to ensure key issues are addressed in the next term. That means electing councillors who have drive, a good worth ethic, and are not distracted by their own personal gains, or helping their mates.
I’m level-headed, I work hard with passion, I stand up for my beliefs and values. I have a lot of experience in the corporate sector in finance, strategy and planning, and delivering projects on time. I’m used to confidently dealing with businesses, banks, boards and am always trusted and valued for my input. But I also left the corporate world for good reason – largely too many levels of management making poor decisions, and corporate greed! I may not have spent a lifetime in Noosa making connections, but I’m a safe pair of hands and bring a fresh perspective.
I don’t have kids, and my family are in the UK. My partner runs two businesses from Cooroy. I’m in a good position to be able to devote my time to servicing the community.
Personal relationships with fellow councillors
None beyond acquaintance.
What does your partner do?
He has lived in the area for many years working as a paramedic. He now has 2 small businesses in the health industry, based in Cooroy and serving SEQ and CQ. He’s lived in the area for many years, and in other regions of Queensland.