About
The Barron River region has been my home for the last 11 years and I am standing as a citizen concerned about the future of our community and the diverse natural landscapes that support our local economy.
I am concerned about the lack of accountability and honesty in government, businesses struggling due to poor economic conditions in the Far North and high rates of youth crime. From my experience as a small business owner and former educator and scientist, I believe that no single perspective can deliver practical solutions to these critical issues. To make informed and inspired decisions, we must engage fully with the ecological, social and economic realities of this region.
The ecological reality of our Barron River floodplain means that we have important choices to make in the next decade of how to integrate tourism, agricultural production, housing and infrastructure, community recreation and preservation of biodiversity.
The human and economic realities require us to rise to this challenge by being informed, inclusive and acting with integrity. This means that we cannot afford to waste time in bitter and divisive debates. It also means that those willing to engage in fair, open and engaged processes must come together and work cooperatively for the greater good. Because the decisions that face Queensland and our electorate are of critical importance, we need the voice of everyone to be heard and taken into consideration.
We need to refocus our efforts on building strong social bonds, as well as building economic opportunities that are sustainable over the long term. Our local small businesses need our support , as do our young people that are the future of this region. The beautiful beaches, forests, mangroves and riverine landscapes are important in keeping our community healthy and vibrant and they deserve our care and protection.
Policies
Therefore, my key policy areas for Barron River include:
• Small Business Support–increase the opportunities for new and existing businesses to grow and become sustainable across the ‘triple bottom line’ (people, planet and profit).
• Youth Well-being– expand programs in recreation, arts and mental health, especially for high school students and at-risk young adults.
• Wetlands Protection– enhance our existing local and state protection to ensure the health of our riverine and coastal wetlands.
Further, I support a government and public servants who are:
• Ethical– promoting a standard of behaviour based on integrity, accountability and inclusiveness.
• Equitable– ensuring that processes are fair and transparent to all parties.
• Engaged– delivering community engagement programs that involve all interested sectors in developing viable outcomes.
If you feel these are important issues and principles for our community, then let’s make the first Green state representative for Queensland be from the Far North in this election
