17-6-2008
Media Release
Randwick-Botany Greens Launch 2008 Council Election Campaign
"A Green Voice
In Every Ward"
The Randwick-Botany Greens (i.e. "The Greens") are running in all
five Council wards of Randwick City Council and are seeking candidates for the
City of Botany Bay Council.
Their campaign
slogan "A Green Voice In Every Ward" seeks to reflect the
Council reforms that they have initiated since Murray Matson was Randwick's
Mayor in 2004.
Margaret
Woodsmith (North Ward)
Margaret is currently the only woman on Council and has led the way in
turning the Council towards defending the rights of local residents against the
interests of the large hotels. She has been passionately involved in putting
forward Randwick's position on the Sydney Coastal Council network.
She states that,
"Against
the Labor Councillors opposition we the Greens initiated the yearly budget for
the 'Sustaining Our City' program that has won Randwick numerous environmental
awards including gold and silver in the 2006 International Awards for Livable
Communities. Randwick City Council is now recognized as the leading
environmentally progressive Council in Australia."
Bradley
Hughes (West Ward)
Bradley is a fourth generation Randwick resident who has been a Councillor
since 2004. He runs a local Internet
and IT consultancy business. He has spearheaded the Greens resistance to the
unacceptable traffic impacts that the State Government's proposed Southern
Distributor off ramps will have on Kensington, Kingsford and Randwick. He is
keenly involved in advancing community consultation and funding for a Local
Area Traffic Management Plan to resolve contentious traffic issues including
the Lenthall Street question.
Bradley states that,
"I will continue to advocate on behalf of West Ward residents and will
work with the local precinct committees to oppose development that has
unacceptable impacts on our community amenity. I will seek to advance Council's
adopted Transport Plan that includes a vision for Light Rail and extended
cycling net works."
David
Allison (South Ward)
David is a long time resident of Maroubra who is married to ex Prince Henry
nurse Anne Gardiner who has stood several times as a local Greens candidate.
During the last State election he helped organise the Greens protests against
the unnecessary expansion of Port Botany. David has represented his local
precinct committee at Randwick Council's joint precinct committee meetings and
has coached junior and senior rugby union teams for Randwick Rugby.
David states that,
"South Ward needs a third Councillor who is not of the two major parties
as the current three all are. As an active member of my precinct committee I
genuinely believe in putting 'Community Needs Ahead of Developer Greed'
and that's why I am running for Council."
Lindsay
Shurey (Central Ward)
Lindsay has lived in Randwick City for over 10 years and has previously stood
as a Council candidate for the Greens in Maroubra. She is committed to working
closely with the local community and has been actively involved with the
Maroubra Bay precinct committee for six years. She co-hosts the local forum on
anti-social behaviour and is tackling the proposed Maroubra Beach Urban Design
Review issue.
Lindsay states,
“I’m standing
because I am amazed at how little our Central Ward Councillors listen to their
electorate whom they actually seem to hold them in contempt. One Councillor
actually stated he wanted to
bulldoze down the Maroubra Beach suburb. Some ALP Councillors accepted
developer and hotel donations for their last Council campaign. I want to be a
local Councillor who listens to and works with the community."
Murray
Matson (East Ward)
As the current Deputy Mayor, Murray has represented East Ward since 1995 and
broke the power of the ALP right faction when he became Sydney's first Green
mayor in 2004. He states that the Greens can legitimately claim to have initiated
the reforms and improvements that have flowed since then. He elaborates,
"The
Greens' well known history of refusing to accept developer or hotel donations
leaves us as the only party still capable of winning the community's confidence
following the Wollongong Council scandal. The three seats that the Greens won
in 2004 were pivotal to the Council reforms we started that year. This year we
are running for a Green in every ward to ensure that we can continue to build
on those reforms."
Green
Achievements Since 2004
Sitting Greens
Councillors Hughes, Woodsmith and Deputy Mayor Matson list some of their
Council achievements as:
·
An Inclusive Mayorship
The Greens forced the
equitable sharing of the mayoralty by voting for the Greens (Matson) in 2004,
Liberal (Seng) in 2005, Labor (Tracey) in 2006 and Liberal (Notley-Smith)
in 2007);
·
An Administrative New Broom
Former Greens Mayor Matson
started the recruitment process that brought new General Manager Ray Brownlee
in from outside the Council. The new GM swept away aside decades of outdated
practices and allow Randwick to win the prestigious A.R. Bluett Award in 2006 for making the most relative
progress by a NSW Council.
·
Honest Community Consultation
The Greens set up the
precinct coordinating committee and scrapped the parking meter proposal when
community action demanded it. They rallied with Kensington and Kingsford
residents against the State Government's off ramps scheme and responded with
more consultation on the Maroubra Beach Design proposal. They listened to the community view on
Bardon, Pioneer, Nagle and Snape Parks and have consistently supported
residents against the hotels in Coogee.
·
Environmental Awards
Former Mayor Matson's motion
to set up the Sustaining Our City' program has provided the funding necessary
for Council to win a veritable swag-load of environmental awards since 2004,
build gross pollutant traps on beach storm water drains, extend the coastal
walk way, and stage the yearly Environment Day Eco-Living Fair. Subsequent Labor and Liberal Mayors have all
retained it and benefited from it electorally.
·
Financial Reliability
Council was drifting
financially before the Greens initiated Council's first ever long-term
financial plan. Funds have been freed up for the community allowing for new
pedestrian crossings, bike paths, footpaths and road works to appear across the
Council area.