For thirty plus years I’ve been involved with local government affairs: as a watcher from the gallery; a member of various committees; an opponent of dodgy planning and a supporter of environmental custodianship. I’ve seen councillors come & go, honest and dishonest, unbiased and biased, the thinkers and the scatty, those who deal in facts and media show ponies who misinform.
This has highlighted the need for choosing councillors who :
nare individuals with known integrity.
ncan set aside personal passions and rationally assess all economic, environmental and social facts before making a decision.
nwill not make promises that can’t be kept.
n are willing to treat being a councillor as a fulltime job.
n will follow the Code of Meeting Practice and Code of Conduct.
nare truly independent and dedicated to the Tweed, not to State or Federal political party policies.
nare willing to sit on council advisory committees.
nwill carry out in-depth research to ensure decisions are informed, timely and realistic.
n are approachable, willing to listen to our questions and seek out answers?
nare wise enough to recognise that rejection of a development fulfilling legal planning requirements can result in council having to pay council’s and proponent’s costs, responsible enough to vote for such a development despite their own or a community’s objection and quick to add positive amendments.
Dot Holdom, Group J, more than fulfils these requirements. She deserves the Number 1 vote.
Barbara Fitzgibbon
Kingscliff
