Eurobodalla Shire Council

Keeping our towns cool with a Tree Strategy

Our tree-lined roads and lanes are a big part of the character of our communities, yet residents are often having to rally to defend these trees from over zealous roadside clearing plans.

So far this year there has been excessive removal (or proposed removal) of established roadside trees on Congo Rd, Tomakin Rd, Broulee Rd, and on Turnbulls Lane in Moruya.

In the aftermath of the devastating bushfires on the south coast and the tragic loss of trees and biodiversity, the clearing of any remaining healthy trees needs serious consideration.
Removing damaged or clearly dangerous trees makes sense, but removing large, established trees that have been defining and shading our existing lanes and roads for many years is heartbreaking and often unwarranted.

To address this problem, once on council we will develop a Tree Strategy to both protect and expand existing urban tree canopy and green cover. As part of that we will consult with the community on this issue of roadside trees vs. speed and safety considerations.
We will listen to views around how to manage any hazards they may pose, while retaining the beauty and character they bring to our shire.

Securing sufficient tree canopy is also critical to addressing the Urban Heat effect that is making summer increasingly uncomfortable in our towns and villages. This is caused by the increasing amount of hard, unshaded surfaces in built up areas and it is being made worse by climate change. To keep our towns cool we need shade trees and green cover more than ever. Of course, trees are also beautiful and calming, are our best carbon capture and storage infrastructure, and the lungs of our planet.

We need to protect and expand tree canopy, ensuring that as our communities grow so does our green cover. We will address the need for more trees and plant diversity in our streets and parks as part of an Urban Tree Strategy.

On the new Eurobodalla Shire Council of 2022 we will introduce measures to increase, rather than erode, residents and ratepayers access to participation in council proceedings.

We will be repeating Greens Councillor Pat McGinlay’s calls for the re-instatement of live streaming and recording of the Public Forum.
The technology is in place to live stream, record and archive Public Access sessions and other council meetings and briefings too. Other councils do it – so can we.
We’ll be guided by the community as to which meetings to expand these live-streaming methods to.

These will be a straightforward steps to fostering broader engagement from the community outside of the constraints of the council meeting agenda.

Eurobodalla residents expect, and Greens on council will deliver, greater openness and transparency in council decision-making processes.

We will work on rebuilding the trust of the community in our council, which has been eroded by a culture of secrecy. We can’t rebuild that trust without being open and transparent in our actions.

Together, we need to revisit what genuine community consultation with the community looks and feels like in this shire.

Residents tell us that they often feel the existing public engagement process is one of ‘consult and ignore’.

It’s also time to explore how we can encourage a greater diversity of representation on council – our council should reflect the diversity of our community. This means we’ll need greater representation of women, young people and First Nations people on council. 

Your vote for Greens on Eurobodalla Shire Council will be a vote for:

• Accountability from Council

• Liveability – vibrant and resilient communities &

• Environmental Responsibility

Read more about our plans and priorities for local government in the Eurobodalla.

We’re often asked ‘Why should we have political parties in local government?’ and ‘Why the Greens?’

Independents do great work in all tiers of government and we’re really looking forward to seeing more progressive and genuinely independent councillors here in the Eurobodalla. However, we do have a history here of party members standing as Independents and not declaring their membership or affiliation to a registered political party. This can make it difficult to know who such a councillor is really representing.

We are proudly Green and for the sake of transparency ask that all candidates declare their political affiliations.

We know that ethically representing your community and holding membership to a political party are not mutually exclusive positions.
Both can be done at the same time.

When voting for a Greens candidate, you know exactly what you’re getting – someone who is open and transparent about their affiliations, who is committed to local democracy and who brings strong progressive values you can count on.

The Greens are driven by the principles of environmental sustainability, social and economic justice, peace and non-violence and grassroots democracy.
Greens’ voters expect their candidates to vote in a way that is aligned with these principles and will hold them accountable to those principles.

The Greens have a commitment to participatory democracy. Instead of ‘I was elected to decide for you’, Greens councillors believe ‘I was elected to make sure you get an opportunity to be consulted and have input into decisions’.

Our plans and priorities for Eurobodalla Shire, and all decisions made by elected Greens representatives in local government, are made in consultation with the community and in the best interests of our community. Councillors, no matter their party affiliations, are bound by the Local Government Act to act in the best interests of their community.

Community first. Not the party, not the party leaders in Sydney or Canberra, and certainly not property developers or corporate donors.

Many of our pathways in the Eurobodalla are incomplete and not safe for what should be easy trips to the shops.

This can discourage people from walking or cycling those short trips where the use of a car should be able to be avoided.

We need to remove the barriers to people being able to move around our towns and villages safely.  Whether walking, pushing a pram, cycling or using a mobility scooter or wheelchair, active transport must be safe and accessible to all.
The good news is that well-connected shared pathways that are good for walkers and cyclists also tend to be good for all of those users!

Council’s Pathways Strategy prioritises safe walking access to schools and commercial centres but this doesn’t guarantee that residents will have that access provided any time soon.

On council, the Eurobodalla Greens will prioritise the completion of shared pathways that are accessible to a wide range of users, on these and other essential community routes.

We are committed to creating walkable neighbourhoods and connected communities. Making walking and cycling the most convenient option for short trips is also a way for us to ease congestion on our roads and reduce emissions.

With your support, Greens on Council will repeat Greens Councillor Pat McGinlay’s 2019 call for Eurobodalla Shire to join 99 (and counting) local governments in Australia, and thousands world-wide, to declare a Climate Emergency.

We will work with Council staff to implement robust climate mitigation and adaptation plans. We must act to ensure that our communities are safe and are resilient to the challenges of the changing climate.

Acknowledging the climate crisis and enacting the Climate Resilience Plan will mean our shire won’t miss out on the opportunities the emerging low-carbon economy can offer.

How can we take action on climate locally?

• We can embrace every opportunity to install solar and develop community power generation to increase our renewable energy capacity and decrease our reliance on fossil fuel energy.
  

  Your Greens candidates (L-R): Kylie Rider, Alison Worthington, Charlie Bell and Nadine Hills

• We are committed to creating walkable neighbourhoods. Making walking and cycling the most convenient option for short trips is also a way for us to ease congestion on our roads and reduce emissions.
• We can partner with State government and motoring organisations to expand the EV charging network to encourage uptake of electric vehicles.
• Every household and business can be a part of reducing emissions from landfill by separating food organics and garden organics (FOGO) from our red bin rubbish collections. FOGO can then be turned into compost and a resource to use in our community.
  There is plenty of support and incentive from the NSW State Government to assist council in setting up roadside FOGO collection services.

We can be a community that takes action on climate

every day, in every possible way.

Local government does have a role to play in easing the housing crisis