My background is in teaching politics, history and economics and I have lived in the Nambucca Valley for 11 years.

It's disappointing that our Council seems more interested in listening to developers than the community. I was outspoken and consistently voted against the sale of community land, the most obvious case being green open space in Valla that had 600 people demanding it be kept, and yet most of the councillors voted to sell. Fortunately, the community finally prevailed but the move to sell our precious green open space should never have happened.

I have always been interested in politics and our world, and my career teaching Politics, History and Economics led me to understand that the system needed changes, that our political system favours development at all costs. The people who pay the costs are the very people who our elected officials should be standing up for.

In the Nambucca people are demanding that we have balance, our Council can and must do more to preserve and protect what is special about our community and our Valley. We must put people before profits and be far more proactive in facing the new challenges rather than the “steady as she goes” approach, which we currently have. The community outrage over the rapid and disruptive explosions of the blueberry industry is the most obvious example.

I really believe that our Council should genuinely listen to residents and act to protect what is special about our community. Together, we can get the balance right between development, local services and green open space.

As a Greens candidate I say to you that I am clearly stating what I will support: community before development, people before profits. If elected I will be able to stand up and say clearly that the community want balance, they want to protect our wonderful Valley.