Dear Residents, After serving for over nine years on Council, I was fortunate enough to be elected Mayor on the 29th of September.
Councillor Michele McKenzie was elected as Deputy Mayor.The recent election saw an overwhelming vote for The Greens and I am honoured to be able to serve the community as Mayor. We will be instituting a wide range of reforms in order to implement the Greens’ agenda for improving transparency, service delivery, ecological sustainability and social justice.
In the first 100 days of our new term we will –
- Campaign to deliver an extension of the light rail to Dulwich Hill and Balmain
- Review the budget to minimise waste and focus on improved services such as improved parks and street cleaning;
- Review parking management to make the system fairer and reduce the burden of meters on local businesses and residents;
- Abolish fees for Freedom of Information applications to Council;
- Ensure Council will be carbon neutral by 2012;
- Establish consultation meetings with residents in all areas of the municipality;
- Develop strategies to support public housing tenants and promote affordable housing;
- Commence negotiations to increase access to sporting fields
This Council will be inclusive and we will be including all parties in the committees and processes of Council.
As Mayor, I will be working hard to ensure that by the end of this council term we have improved the amenity and environment for all residents and businesses whilst maintaining the character and diversity of our municipality that we know and love.
On a local level, I will be working to improve environmental sustainability, improve open space, parks and streets and looking at ways we can all reduce wasteful consumption; in particular reducing the reliance on private motor vehicles, increasing public transport options and improving cycleways, all of which impact significantly on our local environment.
On a broader level, this Council will provide a voice for the community. We will be a campaigning Council. This is particularly important as the state government works to roll back the rights of citizens on environment and planning issues.
We are committed to carry forward the enthusiasm and passion that we felt from the community during the elections into our everyday work on the Council.
With this Council we have a historic opportunity to not just win on issues such as the defence of Callan Park or to defeat the Iron Cove Bridge proposals. We have an opportunity to prove that we as a community can do politics differently – we can be inclusive, transparent, responsible and effective.
I look forward to working with you in the future and encourage you to contact me as I am always keen to hear about the issues that concern you.
Please email me [email protected] or call my office 9367 9191.
Cr Jamie Parker Mayor
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