I stand for

The City of Nedlands has challenges. Some of them are outlined in the Report by the Acting CEO tabled on 5 February 2026. If we are going to resolve issues, we need to start by facing them.

Start with the basics.  Respect, professionalism and the ability to have robust but constructive discussions.  It should not matter where an idea comes from, and the long-term interests of the community should always be the focus.

Open and straight forward representation with a focus on transparency and accountability to ratepayers. You deserve to understand what the situation is for your local government, and what decisions look like in terms of services and liveability.  No one wants to pay rates, but everyone wants services - so as a community we need enough information to have difficult conversations, make informed choices and keep local government accountable.

Local government is only as strong as we make it.  The more community minded people that nominate, engage, vote and want to work there, the better it will be.   Dysfunction and high turnover are expensive and exhausting.  If local government is to deliver services to the community effectively and efficiently it needs to retain and attract great people in every area.  Council is responsible for ensuring that the CEO, and the culture, supports that.

Prioritise connectivity: green links, tree canopy, bushland and biodiversity.  Leafy suburbs and urban greening are for both the environment and people. Our natural resources: river, ocean, green spaces, tree canopy, bushland and biodiversity are essential infrastructure.  It’s why people visit, and why they want to live here. They are shared community assets that we hold for future generations.  Connectivity matters. Look for opportunities to work with residents, community groups, not for profits, business, other councils and state and federal government to help deliver the best results and to make sure every dollar spent produces optimal results.

Strengthen community wherever possible. Engaged, connected communities are strongest. Our community groups and volunteers play a pivotal role in a healthy community.  Support the ones we have and help create the conditions that allow existing groups to flourish and new groups to emerge.   Community is not just formal groups – it’s anything that helps people of all ages (and across ages) connect.  Local businesses, sporting clubs, events, shared spaces to sit, walk and play, trails and bike paths, dog parks, bush care, gardening, the arts – as many diverse groups doing diverse things as possible.  Anything that activates places and encourages people to engage, linger and get to know their neighbours. These things don’t have to be fancy or expensive. They just need to be valued, prioritised and considered in planning.

Fail to plan, plan to fail.   To be deliverable, planning needs to be long term and budgeted, not reactive and crisis based.  Bigger projects need to be staged over multiple years.  Motions need to be purposeful and deliverable.   There are some plans (for example Natural Area Management plans and the Western Suburbs Greening Plan) which are now out of date.  There are others (for example the Allen Park Master Plan) which have been overtaken by events. Consider the plans we have. Update them in a considered way where necessary, be clear about whether they are budgeted and when and if they could be delivered.  Look for opportunities to reduce or share costs, and for additional and alternative funding.   Consider the motions that have already been passed.  Be clear about whether they remain relevant, whether they are budgeted and when or if they can be delivered.  Look for opportunities to share or reduce costs, and for additional and alternative funding.  New motions should be purposeful and deliverable.

Thoughtful development based on long term planning should be able to deliver more diverse housing options in a sustainable way without destroying the amenity of the community.  The next Local Planning Strategy needs to carefully consider how to achieve the best outcomes for our community.