About
By profession I am a biologist, working in an academic institution as a research scientist. While a political neophyte, I aim to become more active in progressive politics; my natural affinity in this regard is towards the policy platform and agenda of The Greens.
I grew up in Brisbane’s outer suburbs, and have lived here for most of my life. I raised my children here.
I joined the Greens in 2009 frustrated by what seemed to be a lack of planning and action in what I see as the forgotten suburbs of Brisbane. While the Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government have begun redevelopment of the inner city of Brisbane, they seem to neglect Brisbane’s southside beyond Woolloongabba. Consequently, people in these outer suburbs have long commutes to work and school, little or no cultural infrastructure, and inadequate access to recreational facilities.
The electorate of Sunnybank exemplifies these dilemmas. Many people in this electorate work in the city, and if residents wish to take advantage of the cultural aspects of Brisbane they must travel some 15-30 kilometers. Inadequate public or mass transport, both bus and rail, dictates that a car must be an essential and expensive household item. This places stress on the existing roads infrastructure. Further, the Sunnybank electorate is a major commercial transport conduit with train and truck freight moving through at high volumes. So a short trip to the local school, shop, church or park becomes of necessity a journey by car. If elected I plan to work to make the electorate of Sunnybank a more livable place. My focus would be on making local and Brisbane amenities more accessible by both mass and active transport modes.
At a State level I think it is important that Queensland develops a robust, diversified and value-added economy. To this end I will support public and private sector developments that are environmentally sustainable, have an unequivocal commitment to corporate social responsibility and triple bottom line reporting, and the education that is essential to both a modern democracy and a modern economy.
