WOLLONGONG COUNCIL 2002 LORD MAYORAL BY ELECTION
CR TREVOR MOTT - ACT TEAM CANDIDATE
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Polling day is September 14. - From today (27/08/02) candidates for the lord mayoralty outline their vision for Wollongong. First cab off the rank is ACT member Trevor Mott.
Mayoral hopeful's grassroots vision.
As mayor of Wollongong the most important role is to recognise that people are our most important resource.
If we are to achieve growth, greatness and be a successful City of lnnovation we have to invest in people to ensure that everyone can participate in a meaningful way. We all must be part of our city's development.
I support a Wollongong City Framework of Innovation. My vision is to be a community - based local authority of excellence.
The lord mayor must lead but at the same time take the community along, for them to be part of decision making to have effective community participation, consultation and involvement.
An inclusive mayor is a successful mayor where accountability, credibility, trust, openness, being straightforward and being part of a team and a vision for a better Wollongong, is the main criteria.
The focus of the office of mayor must be what is called the four R's, three E's, one P and An I, as in integrity.
Wollongong is a unique area surrounded by national park, Lake Illawarra, the pristine Pacific and the escarpment.
We are indeed lucky to have such natural wonders but what is so disappointing is that we have seen attempts to overdevelop on areas that are precious. High-rise on our foreshores bought community outrage, escarpment overdevelopment bought the same reaction.
As mayor, our foreshores will NOT ever see Gold Coast-style development.
It is indeed gratifying to see that the issue of Sandon Point has gone national and the area is now on the Endangered Places list.
As the original convenor of the Sandon Point Action Group, it brings great joy to see that the issues were/are justifjed.
Commonsense indicates the area is worth keeping as a green corridor between the mountains and the sea.
Pollution of our oceans must never be allowed to happen.
People are very aware of the impact of desecration of our escarpment.
It is our jewel.
We have seen flooding, landslips, people's homes washed away and wildlife eliminated.
It is a wrong that must be righted.
As mayor, I will work to save buildmgs such as the Regent Theatre. The old school at Unanderra, and the old miners cottages at Scarborough and Clifton, are just a few examples of buildings that must be saved.
Berry, Berrima and other areas throughout the state are benefiting. Heritage is a tourism area that has to be nurtured. Already in my term as councillor the exciting prospect of having a Tourist Heritage Mine is coming to fruition.
Our elderly, disabled and disadvantaged, along with the rest of our citizens, are demanding and rightly so - good footpaths, bike tracks and roads.
More work needs to be done and already the Active Community Team, to which I belong, has achieved extra funding.
As mayor, this will continue.
Our people are demanding safer centres to shop, to do their business and just visit.
A passion of mine is a safe, economical, and certainly affordable shuttle service that will encourage our citizens to make visiting our centres an experience. With more people brings more eyes and ears to our centres, and less likelihood of crime occurring.
Affordable housing is an area that requires attention. Working with all levels of government, this very deserving issue has to be tackled.
The rating system just adopted brings with it equity and fairness for the first time, with pensioners and the elderly being able to afford to live in an area where they have spent their life. The pensioner rebate, for those who were on it in 1993, has increased to $155 from $128, apart from their government rebate of $250.
As mayor, I will initiate a campaign to have the other 7000 disenfranchised pensioners gain the $155. The Labor Party savagely stopped a further 7000 pensioners in 1993 being able to access the rebate.
This is a wrong that will he righted.
I propose that all mayoral candidates be part of a Candidates Disclosure - an open disclosure of where the funding for their campaign is derived. We don't want Sussex St conining to run Wollongong. As a candidate I am prepared to openly show my funding. I am not a captive of any sectional groups.
Integrity has been in short supply in Wollongong over the past three years.
One issue that requires attention is the so - called sister city or friendship city arrangement. As mayor I will not partake or encourage these controversial and at best economically doubtful overseas jaunts.
We have state and federal bodies that are experienced and trained to develop trade, be it economical or cultural. Wollongong will use those offices, no more junkets.
As mayor I will encourage complete grassroots involvement.
I am a man of the people.
By Wollongong City Councillor Trevor Mott
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