Frequently asked questions

Why did I decide to nominate for Council?
There were a few issues in our area that local residents including myself had contacted the Ward Councillor about but could not get her to act on our behalf. Instead I met with council officers & managed to rectify some issues. Other issues we went to the Local papers with to try & get some action. I was then encouraged by local residents, family & friends to stand for council. I thought why not? If the current Councillor is not prepared to help the constituents then I will.

Why am I going for a third term?
There are a lot of projects I have been working on that I would like to see to fruition. The ground reconstruction of East Ringwood No. 1 & the redevelopment of the Norwood Pavilion, both of these projects have been ongoing & the sporting clubs have put a lot of time & effort into these.
Educating the community of Emergency Management is also something I’m passionate about. Over the past 4 years I have had a monthly show on Eastern fm 98.1. I would like to see more education aimed at people with disabilities & emerging communities.
Council are going to do an action plan for the Domestic Animal Act which I want to put forward the views of the community.
The Ringwood redevelopment will start in the next term & I would like all areas of the community represented.

Is any issue to small to worry about?
Not really. What may seem insignificant to us may really be important to someone else. You always should listen to peoples concerns, it is only by listening that you get a sense of the impact it has on people.

Does Council take up a lot of time?
That’s really up to the individual Councillor. Some Councillors only do what is really required (Council meetings, briefings) with a few civic functions attended each year & may be a conference or two every year (normally interstate). Other Councillors attend not only what is required but also many local community events, this helps to keep us in touch with the local community, after all, isn’t that the reason we were elected to council? Civic events are important, so is the local sporting club, social group, non-profit organisation, welfare group, support group, playgroup, service club etc. These are the groups that connect our community.
If you really want to know how much work a Councillor does look at the delegates report that is included with the council minutes, & don’t just check this years report look back over the past few years.

Don’t you get sick of people complaining about council?
Most complaints are because of the confusion with Federal/State/Local responsibilities. Some may be because of budget restraints. Some complaints are easy to rectify. Some complaints, no matter how hard we try, or how sympathetic we are we cannot resolve. Regardless, the complaint should be followed up until we can get a satisfactory answer. At least if we can’t resolve a complaint we should be able to give people a genuine reason why. You do get some people complaining just because they have a negative attitude towards all things “ council”.

Why haven’t you been Mayor?
I could have been in 2004, but with only one-year experience on Council I didn’t feel I could do the job to a level I expected from a Mayor. I tried in 2005 but missed out by 1 vote. Currently to be Mayor you have to “do deals” with other Councillors. I prefer to vote on the performance of a candidate & I vote on issues on behalf of the community, rather than “doing deals”. To have a Mayor that is elected on deals not performance shows disrespect for the position.

Is it hard being a woman on Council?
I would say council still is the “boys club”. You do need to be a strong person & be able to stand up for yourself. There is support for you like ALGWA (Australian Local Government Women’s Association) & other groups. You also get a lot of women in the community that have been in simular situations that support you. Not everyone sees it as a “boys club”. VLGA (Victorian Local Government Association) treats every one equally. I have also found that the community treats you equally. Many groups that were predominantly Male groups now have Female membership, Female board members, Presidents etc. They have come to respect the perspective & hard work women can do in theses groups. Football & Cricket clubs have Female Presidents, I don’t think the community as a whole is concerned about the gender of a Councillor, they are more concerned with the best person for the job.