Let’s build a connected community that thrives with our environment.

Our Local Priorities

We will work towards:

  1. Connected footpaths that are safe for everyone in our community: the young, the old, pedestrians, people with different abilities, people using wheels & strollers

  2. A walk-to-school plan that helps kids to take major school access routes safely

  3. An integrated network of safe cycleways connecting the major towns, as part of the shire-wide road repair

We will:

  1. Improve our places to meet, exercise, play and build connection to nature and each other

  2. Support quality, publicly run aquatic and recreation facilities while championing the right to cheap, open-air, local public pools

  3. Advocate for an all-ages nature play and adventure play park like in neighbouring LGAs

  4. Support initiatives to make use of public space, like community gardens, markets and music

We will work towards:

  1. Legal protections for our known habitat corridors

  2. Transferring council-run land to a proposed new National Park in the west of the shire

  3. Incentivise private landholders to protect native vegetation and old growth

  4. Prevent roadkill with traffic calming and signage

  5. Replace verge grass with native plants to support biodiversity and the reduce mowing burden

We will stand up for:

  1. Accountability to the community: open, honest and transparent decision-making

  2. Proactive consultation that seeks deeper community input and respects your knowledge and expertise

  3. A respectful, constructive and collaborative approach to problem-solving on Council

We will work towards:

  1. Supporting & scaling up community renewable power-sharing initiatives

  2. Improving home energy efficiency with more ambitious targets and a new home retrofit loans scheme

  3. Supporting EV take-up with more charging stations and an all-electric Council fleet

  4. Improve disaster risk reduction, adaptation and council emergency communications

We will work towards:

  1. Council-supported regular sharing initiatives, including tool libraries, clothes swaps and repair cafes

  2. A rebate for reusable period products, nappies and incontinence products

  3. A shire-wide rollout of water fountains to reduce plastic water bottle waste

  4. Recycling bins in all our public spaces, and transparent reporting on council recycling

We will work towards:

  1. Protecting our green spaces, distinct towns and precious bushland as our region grows

  2. Decisions led by and for the community, with a long-term outlook supported by expert advice

  3. Strategic planning that provides diverse housing types and ensures infrastructure can keep up

  4. Gentle, sustainable density increases in locations with amenities, public transport and walkability

We will help by pushing to:

  1. Create more new affordable housing by partnering with local not-for-profit providers to build on underutilised council-owned land

  2. Increase the amount of affordable housing developers are required to provide in every new development

  3. Tighten developer compliance monitoring and introduce stringent new penalties on developers that fail to meet obligations

We respect Gundungurra and Dharawal community leadership, and support local mob’s calls for:

  1. Autonomy from the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council and transfer of the Aboriginal Community Centre lease to local hands

  2. Locally designed and visible First Nations culture, including in Country signage

  3. Improved council consultation with local community leaders, including investment in culturally appropriate communication

  4. Support for local community-initiated programs

How do the Greens make policy decisions?

New issues will always arise - now, and after the election.

How will councillors make up their minds?

The Greens are guided by a consistent set of policy principles.

…So when you vote Green, you know what you’re going to get.

We will adhere to Greens Principles.

The Greens have the four pillars (or principles) that we will stick to and stand up for.

The four pillars are:
🌱 ecological sustainability
🫱🏻‍🫲🏾 social and economic justice
🕊️ peace and disarmament
📢 grassroots democracy.

A Greens Councillor will always act within this framework.

We are accountable to our local community.

Other Councillors may change their position half-way through a term on local council. Greens Councillors determine their position in consultation with their local group before acting, and act from a collective position, not an individual one.

The Greens commitment to participatory democracy means Greens Councillors view our role as enabling the community to participate in decision making, rather than paternalistically making decisions for the community. 

We're part of a broader network of Councillors

All Greens Councillors are offered training by the Greens NSW from experienced Councillors and other professionals.

Our training teaches councillors how to obtain independent advice, how to maintain high standards of decision making, avoid conflicts of interest, and how to seek further information.

We have shared resources  on complex issues of planning and local government meeting procedure.

Want to get involved and help make our Shire a better place?