Historic surrounds
Ku-ring-gai is one of the oldest established councils in Sydney. You can trace our history from our Aboriginal heritage, the arrival of Arthur Phillip, the construction of the rail line, the arrival of orchard farmers and creation of our garden suburbs, right up to the present day with our multicultural and diverse population. All this makes for a rich and varied place to live in.
I don’t have a single favourite place in Ku-ring-gai – there are so many I love. Our historic homes, beautiful gardens and tranquil leafy streetscapes though, are a special highlight for me.
A challenge for our Council at the moment is that the threat of forced mergers is creating a level of uncertainty around long-term strategic planning and some major projects. Having said that, there is still much we can accomplish. Another challenge is absorbing population growth through well-managed development.
New Mayor
I became a Councillor in 2008. My reasons for becoming a Councillor stemmed from an unsympathetic development in my street and my opposition to that. However I’ve always had an interest and passion for Ku-ring-gai and wanted to give back to the community.
I was recently elected Mayor of Ku-ring-gai in September this year. I am a full-time Mayor, but my previous experience is in marketing, education and communications and I believe these give me valuable experience for the role.
I believe the role of Mayor is both a symbol of leadership and an expression of social cohesion. I’m feeling excited and energised by this new role; am enjoying meeting with individuals and organisations across the community and am grateful for the support
I receive on a day-to-day basis from an excellent Council administration.
I’d like to be known as a Mayor who helped educate the community about what the Council actually does and is responsible for. I’d also like to expand Ku-ring-gai’s cultural life and reach out to people who have come to Ku-ring-gai from different backgrounds.
Achievements
I think the achievement I’m most proud of is being one of the driving forces behind the creation of a heritage and biodiversity Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
Currently, we are also working on an initiative to create ‘welcome packs’ for the extra 6000 refugees that will be arriving in NSW and Sydney by early next year. Another major initiative is revitalising the shopping centre of one of our largest suburbs called Lindfield. We are also conducting a review of the heritage value of post-World War Two homes in Ku-ring-gai.
A key aspect of being a good Councillor is the ability to take a balanced approach, by listening to people’s different views in a respectful way. Also leading by example through good governance and by being knowledgeable about the local area and the issues that matter to residents. A challenge is balancing competing interests to get a satisfactory outcome, which is never easy. But politics is the art of compromise!
The most rewarding part of being a Councillor is being instrumental in putting good ideas into action and making them a reality. I’d like to think I can leave Ku-ring-gai in a better place than when I first became a Councillor in 2008.
