Hope after lockdown: Randwick City Council Candidates on the local issues they aim to address
Image: Randwick Council says council venues such as the Randwick Town Hall are mostly vacant. Photo: wikimedia.org
By EVA BAXTER
Randwick City Council is divided into five Wards:
North Ward
Each Ward has four to six candidates contesting three seats. There is at least one Labor, Liberal, Greens and Independent standing for each ward, and the Arts Party has a candidate in the East Ward and two in the North Ward.
Kim Reddin of the Arts Party for North Ward told City Hub, “we want Randwick to be the most creative, beautiful, sustainable, smartest, fittest, most connected Council area in Sydney.
“There is an enormous amount which can be done in the Randwick Council Area. We’d like to see decisions being made through a lens of creativity, culture and community,” he said.
Incumbent Labor councillor Kathy Neilson and Liberal councillor Christie Hamilton are standing to be re-elected, and Greens Deputy Mayor Lindsay Shurey is stepping down. Rafaela Pandolfini is the Greens candidate for North Ward.
North Ward looks after Randwick, Centennial Park and Clovelly.
East Ward
No incumbent (currently holding office) councillors are contesting seats in the East Ward.
The East Ward includes Randwick, Coogee and South Coogee.
Michael Olive, the Greens candidate for East Ward, told City Hub he is most concerned about the proposed development of the Coogee Bay Hotel Site.
He said Downtown Coogee’s unique seaside heritage maintains its low key, relaxed style because of appropriate development controls.
“If elected, I will be pushing Council to advocate for its role in setting development controls,” he said.
South Ward
Matraville, Malabar, Chifley, Little Bay, Phillip Bay, Port Botany and La Perouse come under Randwick City Council’s South Ward. All incumbent South Ward councillors are standing to be re-elected.
Current councillors include Independent’s Noel D’Souza and Carlos Da Rocha, and former Labor Mayor Danny Said.
Noel D’Souza told City Hub he and Da Rocha’s key word for the next term of Council is hope.
“Voting for the Independent’s at the upcoming elections is one of the most powerful things you can do to take action, to save small business, bring our communities together.
“Saving the planet, creating good government, and electing representatives who care about social justice, inclusiveness and equality,” said D’Souza.
Also vying for a seat for South Ward is Greens candidate James Mollison. He told City Hub lockdowns made people appreciate their walkable neighbourhoods, and therefore there will be a renewed interest in local government elections this year.
“As a candidate, my priorities are for safer, greener neighbourhoods that are pedestrian friendly and encourage walking/cycling.”
He said he will be working with community groups to fight local campaigns against heavy industry like the Suez Incinerator and a proposed Cruise Ship terminal in Botany Bay.
West Ward
All three incumbent councillors are in the running to be re-elected for West Ward. West Ward includes Randwick, Kingsford and Kensington.
Independent Harry Stavrinos told City Hub the biggest challenge facing West Ward is the “over-development that the state government has forced upon Kingsford and Kensington.”
He said next term he will be advocating for UNSW student parking at the racecourse, consulting community and committing to better public transport and more car-sharing opportunities.
“The pressures of over-development can only be alleviated through a better integrated transport strategy,” he said.
Central Ward
