NSW Election 2015
The Illawarra Forum has sent the local candidates for the NSW Election a copy of
our recent issues paper, in order to make them aware of the key issues affecting
our members and the communities they serve.
In addition, we have asked them to respond to the following four questions:
1. What is your position on the value of local place-based community
services organisations?
2. How will you work to ensure more social and affordable housing in
your electorate?
3. How will you work to build long term job opportunities for the
region?
4. Will you push for greater access to affordable transport in your
electorate?
Please note: Candidate responses will be updated as they are received. Last
updated 23/3/15.
Arthur Rorris, Independent candidate for Wollongong.
1.
What is your position on the value of local place-based community services
organisations?
I have networked for many years with lots of the local place-based community
organisations and I greatly admire the valuable work they do in our community.
They keep people connected, help them in times of need and they manage many
social problems in our community. This sector is growing as a workforce in our
region but is also threatened by funding cuts and policy shifts between Liberal
and Labor. We'd to end competitive tendering in community services and start
social planning in more effective way based on results and demand.
2.
How will you work to ensure more social and affordable housing in your
electorate?
Affordable housing in the Illawarra needs a real injection of funds and we need
to explore other creative options such as community housing models and
incentives to encourage more low cost rental properties so that those on waiting
lists cannot just be subjected to the private rental market
3. How will you work to build long term job opportunities for the region?
Job creation is urgent in this region with youth unemployment at 28% together
with high rates of underemployment and more recent retrenchments. TAFE
access is critical and we need to eliminate the high fees that are cutting people
out of accessing vocational training. Apprenticeship quotas and subsidised
training places need to be introduced for particular target groups. Small business
are the biggest employers in this economy and they need some help to employ
and train new employees.
4.
Will you push for greater access to affordable transport in your electorate?
I have a number of ideas to improve transport options in the region including
developing proper transport plan. We need to advance the Maldon Fonbarton
line to take freight off the commuter line to Sydney. Over 23,000 people
commute to Sydney on our trains each week. Locally, we need more free buses
and a mix of mini buses to service areas between suburbs. The concession
framework needs reviewing to include more low income earners.
Mitchel Besser, Greens Candidate for Wollongong
1.
What is your position on the value of local place-based community services
organisations?
Local community services are in the best position to deliver the services that
people desperately need. Locally based services understand the people that are
supporting and understand the local problems better than anyone else.
Governments need to place a funding and emphasis on local placed-based
community services.
2.
How will you work to ensure more social and affordable housing in your
electorate?
The NSW Greens want to spend $4.5 Billion on social (including public) and
affordable housing, we also want to make it law that developers must create a
percentage of affordable housing in a development. I have been meeting with
community members affected by the selling of public house, something that I and
the NSW Greens are strongly opposed to. I want to make sure that there is
enough social and affordable housing in Wollongong.
3.
How will you work to build long term job opportunities for the region?
The Illawarra has higher than average unemployment and one of the highest
youth unemployment levels in the state. There is no single way to reduce
unemployment and increase job opportunities, but there are a number of major
ways the state government can start fixing the people.
Ending the privatisation of TAFE, increasing its funding to levels beyond what it
has seen in decades and removing all fees will ensure that any member of the
community can access world class tertiary education that they want and need.
Education increases people’s employment opportunities. It also gives business
the confidence to expand and grow, because they know that they will be able to
hire the qualified, skilled and experienced staff they need.
The Illawarra is well positioned to be a major player in NSW and Australian
renewable energy future. Our local steel producer, our deep water harbor and
our advanced manufacturing and engineering makes the Illawarra an excellent
place to produce renewable energy power plants, such as wind turbines and
solar power plants.
4.
Will you push for greater access to affordable transport in your electorate?
I have and will continue to advocate for free public transport for all members for
the community. I want a second free shuttle bus to service the southern suburbs,
which most are cut off from public transport. This bus would link Berkeley,
Warrawong, Port Kembla and Cringila and the train stations in those areas.
I want to stop forcing community members of the Illawarra into cars to commute
to Sydney. Over 20 000 people a day travel to Sydney and I want as many as
possible catching a faster train instead of spending hours in their car.
After years of campaigning by the public and the failing of successive
government. Unanderra train station still doesn't have easy access. Lifts are the
best option, but I believe that a simple, low cost, fast built level crossing will be
able to build within a few months instead of the years the lifts have taken.
Elena Martinez, Greens candidate for Keira
1. I believe that a local, place-based community service can offer a better service
and should be encouraged. Not only do they provide local jobs, but the service
can be tailored to the needs of that community. Having large organisations
provide services may appear to be less expensive, but comes at a great cost. For
example, the local women's refuges knew their clients well so could provide
individual care. They had also gained the trust of their clients. It was a shame
when they were closed down.
2. For Illawarra households on income support, only 4-5% of private rental
properties 2012-2014 were appropriate and affordable. From 2006-2011,
homelessness in the region increased by 66% to 1205 people. The Greens'
National Housing Roadmap would fund 214,000 new homes in Australia within a
decade. In the Illawarra this would mean construction of thousands of new
homes, including accommodation for the homeless, affordable rentals created
through a Convert to Rent program and new social housing.
3. Over the years we have seen thousands of jobs lost in the Illawarra in the steel
industry and coal industry. The Greens would assist a transition to 100%
renewable energy. This has the potential to employ thousands of people. (73,000
in NSW compared with 5,800 in coal-fired power). The steelworks could be used
to help produce wind turbines and mirrors for solar thermal power plants.
At present health care is the number one employer in the Illawarra, yet we are
still under-serviced. If hospitals and other healthcare facilities were adequately
funded, this would provide many more long-term jobs.
We also see more job creation in tourism, sustainable construction and in
building infrastructure for a better public transport system.
4. Affordable and well connected public transport is essential so that those who
don't drive are not disadvantaged. This includes the under 18s, the disabled and
the elderly. In this electorate we need to start by rewriting the Sydney Trains
timetable for the south coast line.
Romeo Cecchele, Independent candidate for Shellharbour
Question 1: I am, a firm believer that local based organisations and NGO's are
best placed running programs from the local area not a big company (a
foreigner) based in Sydney running programs from there.
Question 2: We are at crisis right now with enormous numbers of foreigners
coming into Australia to buy up our land and hosing which is dramatically
pushing up the price of land and houses. Social housing will never keep up with
demand until we stop foreigners buying our housing and pushing up prices.
There needs to be a public works department recreated to build social housing!
Question 3: I have been pushing our state and federal members to have a
shipbuilding and car manufacturing plants at Port Kembla next to the steel
maker to boost long term jobs. The Labor Party is not interested. I have been
pushing for a public hospital for the 40,000 people of Dapto, a operational police
station, a large ambulance station, a dual train line south of Unanderra. These are
hundreds of jobs but Labor and Liberals are not interested.
Question 4: The only affordable transport is rail and the Opal Card is already
making it more expensive and inconvenient with the debit system. A quicker rail
link from Dapto to Sydney needs to be established as that is where the jobs are
and the two hour trip each way is putting a lot of people off from doing the trip. A
shuttle bus from Dapto to Wollongong Uni and the CBD for students and
pensioners and the unemployed need to be started to help the worst off get
better access to transport.