Your Genuine and Experienced Independent Voice for Elwick
News & Views
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HEALTH
Health, or ill health, is a massive challenge for Governments across the country – we rarely, if ever, hear stories of a government being praised for getting it right. And our hard-working Tasmanian health care staff provide outstanding service within a stretched healthcare system.
To reduce the strain and stretch on our health system, we must reduce the reliance. We must do more to try to stop people from getting sick. We need greater investment in prevention and early intervention.
As a start, one tangible outcome I’ll continue to advocate for is a permanent Breast Screen Tasmania service in Glenorchy, to ensure better access to this life saving service.
Breast cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death among Australian women.
Screening is one of the most effective ways to detect early signs of breast cancer, yet only 58 per cent of Tasmanian women aged 50-74 participate in breast screening. Better access will save lives.
SAFER COMMUNITIES and
SUPPORT FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION TO THRIVE
Government must break cycles of crime and disadvantage and support our hardworking Tasmania Police with programs that prioritise early intervention to help stop crime before it starts. It must also address the immediate issues at the same time, so everyone feels safe in our community.
Our business community needs to feel supported and be able to open their doors without counting the cost of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
I’ll continue to advocate for more police resources in Glenorchy to enable proactive patrolling as a preventative measure, so everyone feels safe right now.
I’ll continue to focus on support for the delivery of programs to support young people to be their best. Identifying kids at risk at primary school age and providing appropriate, place-based supports to them and their families is critical if we are to ensure our next generation has every possible chance to break the cycle of disadvantage and thrive.
TRANSPORT
Our community deserves faster action on transport solutions for Greater Hobart. Governments have been talking about this for decades and it’s time to actually start building solutions.
The State Government has decided rapid bus transit is the preferred mode of transport along the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor. Now, it must urgently finalise the business case required for the Federal Government to release the secured funding to get the transformation of the corridor started.
I’ll also hold the Government accountable for delivering on the commitment for an expanded ferry service along the Derwent River.
HOUSING
Housing is a basic human right and we must change the way we do housing if we are to ensure everyone has a roof over their head. Governments need to plan for and incentivise the development of appropriately designed medium density housing. I’ll continue to be a strong advocate for this.
I’ll call on Government to support the Greater Hobart Councils in fast-tracking the planning and delivery of new and upgraded underground infrastructure to cater for increased medium density housing along the corridor, so everyone has a roof over their head.
JOBS
I’ve been proud to be part of the success of the Glenorchy Jobs Hub over the past three years as Mayor, filling over 1200 vacancies to provide local people with local jobs.
I’ll advocate for a Federal-State-Local Government partnership to ensure the Glenorchy Jobs Hub continues and also seek to expand the reach into Hobart.
SPORT AND RECREATION INFRASTRUCTURE (and ‘the stadium’)
In a nutshell, I am for a stadium. However, I will need to consider all of the information presented through the Major Projects Assessment process, and the view of the people I represent, before deciding how I will vote on the specific Mac Point stadium proposal.
We are not the poor cousin of the mainland. We must be ambitious and future focused. Tasmanians deserve to have the infrastructure other states have. We deserve health, housing AND a thriving entertainment precinct.
We must change the narrative from ‘the money would be better spent on health and housing’ to ‘we deserve it all’ if we are to achieve our potential. It’s not an either/or.
I am for an entertainment precinct centred around a stadium – infrastructure that provides for entertainment by way of elite sport and performing arts, combined with conference and hospitality facilities.
Critically, though, the Government must also invest enough in community sport and recreation.
Governments must urgently work together to plan and deliver new and renewed regional sport and recreation infrastructure. We must provide adequate aquatic facilities, indoor courts, ovals and pitches to cater for growing participation in sport and recreation, including basketball, netball, pickleball, volleyball, gymnastics, football, AFL, cricket and other sport and recreation activities.
GLENORCHY WAR MEMORIAL POOL
Through the state election, the Glenorchy City Council and community was provided with tri-partisan commitment to repair and re-open the Glenorchy War Memorial Pool, with Liberal, Labor and the Greens backing a $5m commitment to fund repairs.
I am thrilled that the outcome of the State election means the commitment of $5m to repair and reopen the pool will be honoured, given the major parties who promised this hold 29 of 35 seats in the House of Assembly.
As your genuine and experienced independent voice for Elwick, I'll hold the Government to account in delivering on this commitment.
Council has already started preparing for repair and reopening of the pool, so works can commence as soon as the funding arrives.
As Mayor, I wasn’t surprised that people were upset when Council was forced to close to pool due to the risk it posed to public safety. As I’ve said many times, it was a decision Council wished it didn’t have to make. It is a harsh reality that council simply did not have the required funds available to pay for the repairs without slugging ratepayers with a special levy on top of their rates.
Like many people in our community, I am very pleased there is funding to repair the pool so we can enjoy it for a few more summers yet.
At some point, the 60 year-old pool will need to be fully redeveloped or replaced – it simply won’t last forever – and a strategic approach to its future is an imperative. This funding means our community gets use of the pool for a few more years while Council gets the work done to lay a foundation for future funding to fully redevelop the site.
I’ll also continue to support and advocate for state and federal government funding to secure the future of the facility in the longer term.
Tasmanian councils are struggling with the increasing demand to deliver more and better infrastructure, assets and services – as are all 537 councils across Australia. Councils are constantly being asked to do more by their communities and by other levels of Government, but they aren’t adequately funded to deliver on these responsibilities.
Local government is responsible for maintaining 37 per cent of community assets but receives just 3 per cent of federal taxation revenue through Financial Assistance Grants and other funding programs. Over the past 30 years, Financial Assistance Grants to councils have reduced from one percent of Commonwealth taxation revenue to just 0.5 percent. This must change.
I strongly support the Federal Government’s recent announcement of a House of Representatives Standing Committee into local government sustainability. This national inquiry will consider and address the financial challenges and funding shortfalls being faced by local governments, and the role of the Australian Government in addressing these issues. Given the nationwide nature of local government sustainability, a Federal Government Standing Committee is the most appropriate forum for such a review.
I will continue to be a strong advocate for Local Government getting a fairer share of federal taxation revenue to enable it to deliver the infrastructure and services communities need. And I will push for partnership agreements between councils and the State Government to provide clarity on roles, responsibilities and funding agreements.