A Community Voice

In nominating for the upcoming Palerang Council by-election, I have one fundamental objective—to improve Council’s record with respect to community engagement. Transparent governance is an essential element of constructive engagement, as, of course, is listening to, and acting on the concerns of individual communities within the shire.

A Yarrowlumla/Palerang resident for 15 years, I have attended almost every meeting of the current Council. This, in particular, has allowed me to develop a good understanding of a range of local government issues, including all of the matters that have been before this Council. Too often I have seen controversy arise through a failure to communicate, either due to a fundamental lack of appreciation for the impact of a decision on an affected community, or simply through glossing over poorly considered ‘details’. The dramatic increase in rates for rural residential ratepayers, the threatened closure of the Macs Reef Road waste facility, the destruction of heritage structures in both Braidwood and Captains Flat, and the most recent matter of staff cuts in Braidwood are all cases in point. It is Council’s collective responsibility to know how its decisions affect respective communities before the decisions are made. After-the-event patch-up exercises are a waste of valuable time and resources, are rarely effective, and simply lead to anxiety and mistrust.

I am also concerned about the lack of genuine progress that has been made in the preparation of the new Palerang Local Environmental Plan (LEP). Having followed its development from the outset, I believe that environmental concerns have too often been compromised to accommodate the interests of individuals who stand to profit from development. The ad hoc manner in which the document is being modified also raises doubts about the integrity of the ultimate product. While I have made representations from the public gallery, on behalf of our rural communities, I can provide much more constructive input as a councillor.

A vote for Pete Harrison on May 14th will be a vote for a community voice.