Hi, I’m Ethan Hrnjak, your lead Greens candidate for the Frenchs Forest Ward of Northern Beaches Council.

Our bushland reserves are the envy of Sydney and must be protected.

I’ve lived on the Northern Beaches all my life and believe our beautiful area deserves the strongest protections available. As we move deeper into the climate crisis, the importance of our natural environment cannot be understated.

Inappropriate development is happening all around us, with the proposal for Lizard Rock and the planned Frenchs Forest Town Centre shining a light on the unbridled power and influence developers have over our Governments. The vulnerable in our community are at breaking point and decades of Government neglect means that we have a critical lack of affordable and social housing. Some of our most valued community members can’t afford to live near where they work. People like nurses, teachers, bus drivers and essential workers shouldn’t have to commute hours to their workplace when we rely on them to save lives, educate our children and provide essential services to our local area.

This is why I’m fighting for a minimum of 30% affordable housing delivery in new developments where feasible and as a mandatory requirement for all upzoned land developments. Our Council has a social responsibility to provide people of all backgrounds the ability to access housing in this beautiful part of the world.

I’m currently undertaking my third year of Environment and Planning law at Macquarie University and serve as the Co-Secretary of The Greens NSW. Like many young people, I also work part-time to support myself through university.

I’m running because I know that young people deserve a seat at the council table. Whether it be climate change, high rates of anxiety and depression, a critical lack of affordable housing, or the degradation of our local environment, our council plays a pivotal role in addressing these issues. A lack of input from young people on critical decisions about our future is contributing to our climate anxiety, political apathy, and increasing desire to disconnect. We must be able to give our young people hope for the future, because at this point it is little more than despair for many.

As your Councillor, I would strive to reflect the values of our community in the work I do. Values such as securing the future of our children, promoting our sense of community and ensuring sustainable development by planning for people rather than profit.

On September 14th, you’ll be asked to cast a vote to elect your three local Councillors. Over the last few years, I’ve devoted myself to environmental and social justice and it would be the honour of a lifetime to continue to do so as one of your elected Councillors for Frenchs Forest Ward.

If just a handful of people change their vote, change is within reach! All it takes is a 6.3% swing towards us to win in Frenchs Forest and drive the real change our community needs and deserves.

This September, Vote 1 Greens and let’s create this change together.