What is your Working Background?
35 years of experience as a Natural Therapist
Employed locally since 2002 in the retail health and wellness sector
25 years of grass roots experience as a volunteer – P & C Secretary Pomona State Primary School and Pomona Kindy and Executive Vice President, Noosa State High. Successful fundraiser for several causes including local schools, King of the Mountain, Apollonian Social Club and Noosa Country Show.
Why are you running for Council?
It would seem that Noosa Council has lost its way. We have seen some decisions recently that cause us to question what the Council and Councilors stand for. For example, decisions relating to The Great Cooloola walk, the Kin Kin quarry, the black cockatoos at Sunrise Beach, the Noosa surf club car park, and the Noosa river plan.
These are all recent issues/debacles that highlight the fact that Noosa Council has chosen to ignore the overwhelming wishes of the people they supposedly represent.
We have lost faith and confidence in our current Council. Whose interests do they really serve?
We need transparency and open dialogue with the people we serve as Councilors.
We live in a place of natural beauty, but we have allowed more destruction in the last 4 years than in the last 40 years. Trees are disappearing, our national park is being commercialized. Would you be proud of this legacy?
What qualifies you to be a Councilor?
Proud resident of the Shire for more than 40 years – half that time spent in Sunshine Beach and the other half in Cootharaba, where I live now.
Mother of 6 children and 3 grandchildren – very committed to making a difference for current / future generations and protecting our beautiful land for the future
We need to build effective connections between people and places. I think we have an opportunity to look at ways we can bridge the Hinterland to the Beach and strengthen our collective future.
Are you a member of a political party?
Definitely no.
What organisations in Noosa are you a member of or affiliated with?
Currently a volunteer for Kin Kin markets
List the 4 top Council issues you believe to be the most important to Noosa residents?
1. Community Consultation – Transparency and open dialogue with the people we serve as Councillors. It is time for the real majority to be consulted and to stand up for their voices to be heard.
2. Service Performance and Delivery – Ensure value for money from our rates. Currently we see roads not repaired, rubbish not collected, grass not cut or maintained, elderly people and children left without bus shelters for protection. We need to refocus services to core needs and delivery e.g. re-establish kerbside waste pick up and tip vouchers
3. Work with local businesses to ensure a thriving economy – Buy local, spend local – make it clear that this is our goal as a Council and as a community. Less partnership with global corporations whose revenue does not stay within the community or even Australia. How many of these are taxpaying here?
4. Protect our lifestyle and environment – Leave a legacy we can all be proud of for future generations. Protect the natural beauty that led us to move here and make it our home. Let’s stop using words such as ‘precinct’ and get back to talking about ‘footpaths’. No commercialization of our national parks. We need to maintain equitable access for everyone.
