Getting outcomes for our community...

Here is a list of some of my key achievements on Ballina Shire Council to date:

2022-2023

Agriculture and Food Security

  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion to strengthen food security by undertaking an audit of disused Council owned and managed land with a view to offering low-cost leases to individuals and cooperatives capable of producing food for local markets. 
  • Supported a Notice of Motion by Cr Simon Chate to increase the amount of koala habitat in the Ballina Shire, which directly resulted in the establishment of a $200,000 small grants program for rural landowners.
  • Unsuccessfully supported attempts led by Cr Chate to exclude agricultural land adjacent to the Russelton Industrial Estate in Alstonville from future urban growth. Note: The NSW State Government has since declined Council's inclusion of this land as a Strategic Urban Growth Area pending further investigation and consultation.

Community and Heritage

  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion to offer "Welcome Packs" consisting of passes to Council run sporting and cultural facilities to refugee families settled in the Ballina Shire under the Community Refugee Integration Settlement Pilot (CRISP).
  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion to delay Stage 5 of the Lennox Village Vision roadworks by 3 months to allow local businesses to recover.
  • Successfully moved (and subsequently defended) a Notice of Motion that Ballina Shire Council retain the Beach Pavilion/Shelter Shed in Lennox Park due to its historical significance and cultural value within the local community.
  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion that Ballina Shire Council:
    • write to Air Services Australia (ASA) and request that they conduct an independent airspace review of the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport with a focus on appropriate noise abatement measures;
    • write to all airlines servicing the airport to inform those airlines of residents’ continued and escalating concerns about the adverse impact of aircraft noise associated; and
    • regularly inform the community (via online and print media) of the correct protocol for reporting complaints regarding aircraft noise.

Indigenous Culture and Reconciliation 

  • Unsuccessfully supported an amendment to change the date of Council's Australia Day celebrations to the evening of the 25 January.
  • Successfully moved an amendment resolving Ballina Shire Council to conduct further consultation with the community, including the First Nations community, on attitudes towards the celebration of Australia Day, to inform future celebrations (Motion 240222/19, February 2022 Ordinary Meeting). Note: This report is still pending.
  • Seconded a successful Notice of Motion by Cr Bruem to further Ballina Shire Council's commitment to Aboriginal place-naming in the Ballina Shire (June 2022 Ordinary Meeting).
  • Successfully moved an amendment resolving Ballina Shire Council to seek feedback from the Aboriginal community with respect to the inclusion of an Aboriginal led organisation undertaking Cultural Awareness Training as an imperative part of the Councillor Induction Program (Amendment to Motion 250822/14, August, 2022 Ordinary Meeting).

Environment, Sustainability and Biodiversity Loss

  • Successfully moved a recommendation to apply a C2 (Environmental Conservation) zone to ecologically sensitive wetland at Burns Point Ferry Road
  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion that Ballina Shire Council prohibit the release of helium balloons and the use or supply of all types of balloons at events on public land of at Ballina Shire Council facilities (Notice of Motion 230622/5, June, 2022 Ordinary Meeting).
  • Unsuccessfully supported an amendment by Cr Johnson to remove the sale of short-term 4WD passes to Seven Mile Beach
  • Unsuccessfully moved a Notice of Motion requesting an annual report on the implementation and outcomes of its Biodiversity - Compensatory Habitat and Offsets Policy (Notice of Motion, October, 2022).
  • Successfully opposed Notices of Motion by Cr Bruem and Cr McCarthy to re-open South Ballina Beach to 4WD access.
  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion to establish a trial of virtual fencing in the Ballina Shire and take other actions to prevent wildlife deaths from vehicle strike.
  • Unsuccessfully fought to reinstate the mandatory 0.05% margin in Ballina Shire Council's Investments Policy that preference non fossil fuel aligned investments after it was removed by the majority of Councillors following an amendment by Cr Bruem (Recission Motion 240322/15, April, 2022 Ordinary Meeting).
  • Successfully moved a Notice of Motion that Ballina Shire Council commits to more sustainable procurement practices, focusing on increasing its uptake of building and construction materials containing recycled content.

Affordable Housing

  • Successfully moved an amendment resolving Ballina Shire Council write to those with a property available for short-term holiday accommodation and non-resident ratepayers (absentee landlords) informing them of the impact of the region's low rental vacancy rate on residents and businesses and encouraging them to make their properties available for long-term rental (Amendment to Motion 280722/13, July, 2022)
  • Successfully moved an amended Motion (from the staff recommendation) relating to Ballina Shire Council-owned in Wollongbar that would that explore the feasibility of developing and retaining 21 residential lots for the purposes of providing affordable housing for essential workers in accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2021 (November, 2022 Commercial Services Meeting). Note: This amendment was subsequently deferred and the issue is still ongoing.

Disaster Resilience

  • Unsuccessfully supported an amendment by Cr Johnson to divert 1% ($10,000) of a $1 million grant to the Wardell Community Organised Resilience Effort (CORE) to support community-led disaster recovery in the aftermath of the floods.