Vision
I will continue to:
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Give you full time representation.
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Give you honest and direct information.
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Work to make sure your lifestyle is protected.
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Work to ensure that you have a voice in Council.
I will fight for :
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rejuvenation of Toondah Harbour that brings benefits not costs.
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Cleveland CBD revitalisation that is in line with residents
wishes.
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approach to development that balances environmental, social
and economic considerations.
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financially conservative approach to managing your money.
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revitalisation of Cleveland Showground.
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Council that is responsive to the needs of Seniors and our
Youth.
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local economy that is based on 'clean and green' lifestyle,
knowledge and tourism industries.
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local contribution to the fight against climate change.
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creative and culturally strong community.
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safe and secure community.
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environmentally sustainable urban and human 'footprint'.
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infrastructure (roads, parks, etc) that keeps up with our needs.
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open, honest and accountable governance.
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a Council that recognises the Island’s right to play a
role in its own governance
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A Island community that gets its fair share of services and
infrastructure
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a sustainable tourism industry that focuses on education tourism,
eco-tourism and cultural tourism, and helps us preserve what
makes the Island special.
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area plans for Dunwich and Amity.
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a cultural centre/library/visitor information centre for Dunwich.
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a Master plan for the Pt Lookout Headland Park and the 'flat'.
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an upgrade to Pt Lookout Hall
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completion of Stage 4 of the NSI/Minjerribah Study
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a Toondah Harbour redevelopment that delivers
better parking and embarkation facilities
On Development
This election is all about development. It should be about other
things. It should be about community and sporting fields and the
environment and...but it's not. I am proud to say that I have not
taken any funds from developers to help fund my campaign. It is
my money with some minor help from some friends.
I didn't in the last election either. Thats why I have consistently
stood up for you in opposing bad development. I see it as my job
to stand up for you. I did it for the last four years; I will do
it again for the next four if I'm re-elected.
One thing that the CMC inquiry into the Gold Coast City Council
taught us is that ‘independent’ candidates promising 'sensible'
and 'balanced' development are usually anything but those things,
and likely to form pro-development voting blocs when in Council.
In this election there will be candidates with glossy brochures,
designed by graphic artists, full of meaningless phrases like 'sensible'
and 'balanced'. And there will be some doing it from the heart,
on a shoestring. My website is by my brother, my layouts are by
my sister-in-law, deliveries are by Mum and friends, the words are
mine, and printing is done on a humble laser printer. I joke that
it is the 'rusty photocopier, big heart and shoe leather' campaign.
You get to know what I really stand for and it guarantees that no
one can call on me for a favour!
Development (Upwards)
Upward development in Cleveland, courtesy of the controversial 2006
Planning Scheme, is now a unavoidable reality. Many properties have
been re-zoned 5-6 storey and, provided they conform to the Planning
Scheme, now have legal rights attached to them. The cat is out of
the bag! In some situations, like the two recent 7 storey approval,
Council can refuse because the land is only zoned for 5 storeys.
I give you my word that I will continue to oppose heights that are
outside of the Planning Scheme.
Development (Outwards)
After the last election the majority in Council voted to modify
the Planning Scheme of the previous Council to include an extra
1000 hectares (3000 football fields) of farm and bushland for urban
sprawl. They wanted to do more but the State Government stopped
them. This action is set to provide windfall profits for developers
who bought the land cheaply as farmland. Some of this rezoning is
not set in concrete and can be stopped. I support Mayoral Candidate
Melva Hobson's call to halt this development until further studies
on sustainability and carrying capacity can be done.
Urban Spawl; the case against
Council did a study in 2003 on how to handle future population growth.
It rated three growth options ( high, medium, low) and upwards development,
outwards and a combination against 5 criteria. The option that was
ultimately chosen (6-5) by Council ranked overall 6th out of 7.
( Environment 5th, Economic 6th, Social 6th, Urban Development 6th,
Transport 5th) In this election you are going to be told by various
people that urban sprawl is 'sensible'. With koalas in decline,
waterways getting a F rating, a Council struggling to provide infrastructure
in exisiting areas, State Government struggling to provide infrastructure,
and declining open-space, amongst other things, I think it 'sensible'
to take a breath before rushing headlong into more urban sprawl.
Urban Sprawl: the myths, the propoganda
The SEQ Regional Plan/State Government made us do it: Nope,
sorry, they didn't. At our urging and in response to our Planning
Scheme the State Government set a urban development growth boundary.
This boundary is forever and we must contain everything (universities,
industry, sporting fields, housing etc) within it. We are setting
ourselves to use it all, mostly for housing, in the next 20 years.
We are also setting ourselves to exceed their housing targets.
We need to release land for affordable housing: Affordable
housing is a massive, nation wide supply/demand problem. With large
amounts of upwards development and subdividing of blocks inevitably
set to happen in existing areas it is fair to say that we are doing
our share to provide supply. Local Government Association Queensland,
President, Paul Bell got it right when he said: "Rather than
land release, other factors have driven prices up," and "
our own research...finds that developers are holding back the blocks
made available by Councils to maximise their returns."
Farmers are entitled to their superannuation: When you retire
do you expect to be able to upzone your property to make a windfall
gain?
You can't stop progress: Progress enhances our lifestyle,
doesn't detract from it. Otherwise, it isn't progress.
Our growth rate has declined: Lies, damned lies and statistics.
As a percentage it has. But any sixth grader will tell you that
2% of a big number is a lot more than 20% of a small number.
Its ok if there is a net-enhancement of vegetation: Urban
sprawl isn't just about the loss of bush. It is a multi-layered
infrastructure, transport, environmental, economic and social mistake.
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