Three Rivers Greens has announced its intention to run a ticket of four candidates in the forthcoming local government elections in September.
Convenor, Ian Oxenford said, “This is the first time Three Rivers Greens have run candidates at the local government level.”
Events of the past few years at Port Macquarie Hastings Council have left residents quite disillusioned with local government, Mr Oxenford said.
The administrator has taken steps to improve transparency and good governance with the new council, he said.
Greens support this measure, as it was The Greens who “wrote the manual” on transparency and good governance, Mr Oxenford said.
The team will be led by Mr Oxenford, an agricultural scientist and economist by profession, who has worked in rural development in the Asia Pacific region for over thirty years and now runs an organic farm at Kendall.
He was the Greens candidate for Lyne in the 2010 federal election.
His interests in local government include measures to reduce the carbon footprint of our community.
These include energy efficiency in homes and commercial buildings, renewable energy and public transport.
“We need to lay out new estates to allow solar passive housing with natural ventilation to reduce the need for air conditioning,” he said.
“We need to discuss with developers minimum areas of open space to improve the liveability of new housing areas, incorporating areas for community gardens and farmers’ markets.”
Number two on the ticket will be Tom Ferrier, a qualified veterinarian, who later became a teacher in science, agriculture and environmental studies on the east coast and a remote Aboriginal site in the Northern Territory.
More recently, he has been active in the environmental field with Camden Haven and Hastings land care in woody weed removal and native bush regeneration.
He and his partner, Jane McIntyre, are completing construction of their energy-efficient house at Lorne, built of recycled bridge timbers.
“With peak oil upon us, bikeways that provide safe travel between residential zones, schools and shopping centres will be a progressive transport initiative,” Mr Ferrier said. “Our agriculturally rich region has the potential to produce a greater portion of our local food.
“To our south and west, the proliferation of coal seam gas needs to be stopped to protect our agricultural land.”
Tin Hta Nu, a former university lecturer in agricultural economics in Burma, Thailand and Australia, will occupy the number three position. Tin has lived in Kendall for 12 years and is well known for her work with the Country Women’s Association as past Mid-North Coast Group International Officer; volunteer at Kendall’s Op-Shop, Thursday Meeting Place Café and Vege Bazaar and teaches at Camden Haven and Port Macquarie Adult Education Colleges.
“My husband, Ian Oxenford, and I raised over $50,000 with support from the Kendall community for a school in my country of birth, Burma,” Ms Nu said. “The school opened in 2010.”
She has also set up the Kendall Global Community Garden located at the Kendall Hall, promoting healthy local food production and agro-eco-tourism.
Tin is most interested in promoting social projects, such as community gardens, along with placing more emphasis by council on rural and outlying communities. She would like to promote more multicultural and youth activities in the Hastings region.
“Australia has been my refuge since I had to flee persecution in Burma. I would now like to show my gratitude by contributing back to Australian society,” said Ms Nu.
Drusi Megget, another well known local identify, will occupy the fourth spot. She has lived in Port Macquarie since 1994 and works as a part-time TAFE teacher, teaching Information Technology at Wauchope campus.
Her varied work experience includes secondary school teaching in New Zealand and computer analysis and programming in Sydney.
She is involved in community groups such as Friends of the ABC, Hastings Area Nuclear Free Alliance, Climate Change Australia and Port Macquarie Parents and Citizens.
In 2011, Drusi was the Greens candidate for the NSW State Parliament election.
Drusi said she was standing for council because of an interest in planning for a sustainable future.
“Public transport, in particular, shows a shocking lack of service,” she said. “And planning for infrastructure needs to take into account the big changes that are happening with technology and energy.”
