Speech to candidate forum, Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited, by Greens candidate for Flynn Anne Goddard
I acknowledge and respect the traditional owners of this land.
As a mother of two who has lived in this area for 10 years, I’m greatly concerned about my children's future. I’m currently establishing an organic farm, reforesting, and co-ordinating the building of a local Indigenous Cultural Centre on 15 ha of beautiful remnant bushland.
A vote 1 for the Greens will ensure that the major parties focus on supporting the needs of this electorate. Labor and the Coalition have no plan to avert dangerous climate change which will severely impact the agriculture and tourism industries in Flynn. Without fast action to tackle climate change and acidification of the reef, as well as dangers from oil spills and water pollution, the Great Barrier Reef will die.
Development, jobs and growth need not cost us our environment. There is neither comfort, nor economy without a sound environment. Political will is the missing ingredient.
The big polluters must be made accountable for the pollution they produce. I fully support the Greens initiative of a carbon price of $23 per tonne to the worst 1000 polluters and a gross feed-in tariff - a fair return for renewable energy produced locally.
Paying to pollute is an excellent incentive to reduce pollution output by the big polluters and will provide funds to ensure that households have better access to renewable energy systems.
A gross feed-in tariff levels the playing field enabling households to generate income on the clean energy they produce.
I am working with Gooreng Gooreng elders to create sustainable employment opportunities for local indigenous people. Reclaiming an estimated $100 million in stolen wages is also high on our agenda.
I support Aboriginal sovereignty.
I rely on public transport and I am very familiar with the difficulties involved in traversing this huge electorate.
I’ll work hard to secure funding to ensure that public transport infrastructure is dramatically improved. Providing safe and affordable public transport systems brings communities together, lessens the need for private car ownership and reduces individual and community costs.
Our bulk freight infrastructure is sadly neglected. Recently, a Gladstone resident advised that some minor repairs to three small bridges would see many more trains able to utilise our existing rail infrastructure and currently freight carriages are lying idle due to these damaged bridges.
This is just one example of addressing a minor infrastructure problem to improve safety and decongest our highways and roads.
Another is the issue of the Smiths Crossing road bridge. The locals have been waiting for repairs on this highly needed and suburb linking bridge for over two years. This bridge needs to be fixed.
Yet another big issue is the black spot on the southern approach into Gin Gin. There have been too many deaths. If it is not fixed then the Federal Government incumbent (in power) must be held accountable for their negligence.
As a member of Sustainabundy, I support the idea of local produce for local people, putting waste to work and encouraging local produce markets and market gardens. We want to ensure fairer prices for local farm produce and the protection of productive farmland from urban sprawl and mining.
Local industry produces and protects local jobs.
This seat has a wide variety of highly skilled people who would like to contribute more to their local communities. I support creating a national internet-based register of skills that are available to contribute to local needs.
I’m campaigning to provide sustainable, reliable, clean, energy industries to the electorate of Flynn and to ensure that the rapid expansion of the mining industry in this region is properly regulated and doesn't come at the expense of the regions environment and future.
I will bring common sense, honesty, compassion, empathy and practical solutions into politics.
Coupling my specialised management skills (including corporate level strategic planning, industrial relations, personnel administration and balancing department budgets) into Greens policies, I have everything it takes to lead the seat of Flynn into a positive future.
It is way past time that our current elected representatives ensured that we receive the infrastructure, green jobs, and climate change mitigation strategies we need to insure that our region remains the greatest electorate in Queensland.