What is your working background?
For my time in Noosa, since 1998, I have been a surfboard manufacturer and spent many Saturdays working in Noosa Longboards on Hastings St. My business won the Sunshine Coast Smart business award in 2011. I studied Law and practiced law from 1988 to 1995 in Los Angeles, California. Prior to this I grew up working on fishing boats and surfing in Southern California.
Why are you running for Council?
Noosa has been very good to me and my family. I hope to maintain Noosa values in council. I hope to continue the work I started in my first term.
What qualifies you to be Councillor?
I earned a PhD in the Sustainability of Small Manufacturing in Australia from the University of the Sunshine Coast. I understand small business, like my own, and hope to see them flourish in Noosa. I also know that our businesses and brand are interlocked with our excellent environmental management. My business and law credentials and my understanding of the importance of maintaining our environment give me the tools to create a better Noosa for the future.
Are you a member of a political party? If so, which one?
No
What organisations in Noosa are you a member of or affiliated with?
I was the president of Permaculture Noosa for 2022 and 2023. I was on the board of Country Noosa for 2022. I am presently volunteering at the Majestic Theatre. I have been the appointed councillor on the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation board since 2020 to present.
If elected, will you be undertaking any other paid employment? If so, what would that be?
I will still make a few surfboards a year (to maintain my sanity).
List the four top Council issues you believe to be the most important to Noosa residents.
1. I believe better use of Noosa’s agriculture land and home gardens is of enormous importance. Queensland’s food supply chains are fragile while Noosa has all that is needed to grow our own food and create an amazing food culture. We talk about it a lot, but a lot more needs to happen on the ground. The new Corporate Plan, Climate Change Response Plan and Economic Strategy support a shift to facilitating regenerative agriculture.
2. The amenity lost from the proliferation of STAs continues to be an important issue. They also exacerbate the housing crisis. I am hoping to further control the crisis through the planning scheme amendments which will soon be out for public consultation.
3. I will continue to advocate for Noosa’s Walking and Cycling Strategy. Making it easier to leave the car at home and walk or cycle around Noosa will ease congestion and create a healthier community.
4. Maintaining our nature corridors and biodiversity is very important for Noosa. The Noosa Koala population is growing! This is the result of a very successful council led effort to manage our environment. Council supports the bushcare groups, Land for Wildlife properties, Voluntary Conservation Agreements, and Environment Levy land purchases. Knowing that Noosa is preserving far more than it is losing to development every year brings a sense of pride to Noosa residents.
