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ACTIVE COMMUNITY TEAM - MEDIA RELEASE
Open Government - ACT TEAM leads the Major Political Parties
"The need for open council has at last been recognised by the major political parties - they have finally caught up with our 1983 Ward One initiative!" claimed Mrs Kerrie Christian, Active Community Team Candidate for Ward One. "My fellow candidates, Jenny Fares and Len Pickering, are keen to extend the neighbourhood advisory approach to Wards Two & Five after the September 14 Council election."
Community consultation is a key part of the ACT's philosophy. "Eight years ago in 1983, when the Active Community Team first gained representation on Wollongong Council, we introduced the Ward One Advisory Group," continued Mrs Christian, "this was despite total lack of interest in community consultation from other aldermen."
Ultimately the Ward One advisory group led to the formation of the umbrella group CANS, Community Alliance of Northern Suburbs in 1987. CANS in 1988-89 conducted extensive community consultations across every suburb in Ward One on planning & environmental issues. Representatives, who included Mrs Christian, used the findings of these consultations in their lengthy negotiations with Council for the local environment plan, LEP 1990.
"Other areas of community consultation where Active Community Team members have been very active include the Illawarra Escarpment Coalition," explained Mrs Christian, "this is a community umbrella group with representatives from Helensburgh to Dapto regularly attending because of their concern for the escarpment."
It was unfortunate that only one ALP candidate, who is an existing alderman, and one Liberal candidate have shown interest with each attending a single Escarpment Coalition monthly meeting over the last 12 months, according to Mrs Christian.
"We're hoping that the other groups really do follow our initiatives after the September 14 elections," stated Mrs Christian, "we also want to extend the consultation concept to involving the community in planning for the protection and beautification of our beachfront areas."
"Yes Minister" type council bureaucracy problems can only be fought by increased community participation, with communities knowing their rights and being empowered to advocate for themselves, according to Mrs Kerrie Christian, Active Community Team Ward One candidate.
"When residents know how things work, they won't be fobbed off with transparent excuses and accept being given the run-around," stated Mrs Christian, "but instead will demand real answers and action."
"We encourage the formation of resident coalitions or umbrella groups, such as the Illawarra Escarpment Coalition and Community Alliance of the Northern Suburbs," explained Mrs Christian, " so that new groups can 'learn the ropes' from more experienced groups."
This is in opposition to the styles of some council bureaucrats, who have sought to create divisions between and within neighbourhoods on planning issues, according to Mrs Christian. The advocacy role for community workers and neighbourhood centres can be to help residents in their neighbourhood learn how to circumvent the bureaucracy. The processes of community development, which includes community groups learning to advocate for themselves, doesn't generally happen overnight, and often people want someone else to do it.
But as more residents learn how council bureaucracies work, what the unwritten conventions and agendas really are, then they can start to exert more power and influence in the council policies and decisons affecting their lives. And neighbourhood centre workers would no longer be trying to do all the advocacy themselves, and running themselves into the ground with the risk of burnout.
There are claims that community participation could become the preserve of articulate middleclass lobby groups, further alienating those who need assistance.
Disputing this Mrs Christian stated, "One of the most effective groups I've been part of was NIRAG - Northern Illawarra Resident Action Group, which was centred on the fibro, ex-housing commission area at Sandon Point, Bulli."
Mrs Christian explained that the miners and ex-miners who had led NIRAG had been good examples of community self-advocacy. Another was the Woonona Heights residents with their drainage and slip problems. "Certainly people may need help at first in learning how to advocate for themselves, " agreed Mrs Christian, "but that applies equally to residents in 'better suburbs'. It's pretty insulting to those who aren't middleclass or silvertails, to infer that they wouldn't be incapable of advocating for themselves, even after some help."
Contact : Kerrie Christian ph 671488 (h) 757423 (w)
Authorised : Mike Dwyer ph 672111 Contact : Kerrie Christian ph 671488 (h)
Authorised : Don Metcalf - Ward I Campaign Manager - ph 840202(h)
Authorised Kerrie Christian
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