What made you want to stand for election? Under my leadership, Council have set solid foundations for the future of Hilltops. There is still work to do and if elected I will continue to do my best and work every day to deliver Council's promises to the community. There are many projects I have advocated for that I would like to see come to fruition, along with many more in the future. I am a strong leader with the best interests of the community at heart and have the experience, knowledge and dedication to ensure Hilltops Council is viable and successful into the future.
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What would you like to see change? The most necessary change required are the steps that need to be taken to ensure that Hilltops Council is financially sustainable now and into the future. For this to happen the focus of the new Council must be financial sustainability. There will be tough decisions to make and implementing these decisions will take strong Councillors who work closely with the General Manager and Executive to see them through.
What has been your biggest challenge in life? I have had many challenges in my life and they have all taught me valuable lessons. As many residents would be aware, last year I faced some health issues which thankfully I have now overcome. There were some tough days on the journey and they have reminded me to appreciate life and make the most of every opportunity.
How do we encourage more women to stand for Council?
I actively encouraged anyone who felt they could make a difference to our community and a positive contribution to Council to nominate as a candidate, regardless of gender. I will say that I was most disappointed with the lack of nominations for this election as I felt there were many more people that could have positively contributed to our community than just those who have nominated.
What needs to be done to encourage residents aged 18 to 40 years of age to stand? Again, I encouraged people of all ages to run for Council if they felt they could make a positive contribution. Unfortunately this year we only have one candidate in this age bracket however the candidates who are elected are elected to represent the entire community, not just those of their own age. The Hilltops Youth Action Group acts as an advisory panel to Council in that they relay the needs and wants of the younger age demographic across the region to ensure they remain represented.
What are the rewards of being a local government representative? For me it is giving back to the community and the sense of pride and achievement when you can see the difference you are making. During my time on Council I have advocated for many community and infrastructure projects as well as road and bridge improvements and to see these delivered for the community makes me very proud.
What will be the biggest challenge, in your opinion, for the next Council? Without a doubt and as mentioned above, the long term financial sustainability of Council will be the biggest challenge and number one priority for the new Council. The current Council have made some decisions in regard to this that will need to be implemented under the new Council. There are some more decisions to be made that won't be easy but if the right actions are taken I believe Hilltops Council can be very successful in the long term.