Hi, I’m Helen, and I care deeply about Hobart, our people and future.
I have been fortunate to represent the people of Hobart since 2005, with strong foundations in social justice and environmental causes. As a mother, practising Podiatrist and former manager, I use my voice and skills to “speak up” for Hobart. During the early stages of the pandemic, I helped ensure access to bushland and parks for physical and mental wellbeing, and argued for assistance for ratepayers and tenants in Council buildings to reduce financial hardship.
This special place we call home has seen many changes, and deserves to be looked after as it evolves. Building heights, our rich heritage, connection to our parks and bushland, protection of kunanyi and the Derwent/timtumili minanya, help make this place the best small city.
This October, your vote can make a real difference to Hobart’s future. At a time when our city faces two existential crises of housing and climate change, we need leadership from a Council that can effectively rise to the challenge.
I want to continue that work to make Hobart the best it can be, for residents, visitors, and businesses, through fostering diversity, inclusion and connection.
Over the years, the Greens have helped Hobart achieve:
- Housing and Homelessness commitment
- Taking action to curb short stay accommodation march across our suburbs, through caps and rates changes.
- A positive vote for kunanyi against the cable car proposal
- Championing the Council’s commitment to have zero waste to landfill by 2030 and phasing our single use plastics
- Some bike lanes and footpath upgrades
- Introducing the Healthy Hobart program for activities in our parks and gardens
- Working with our amazing Bushcare groups to improve our bushland reserves #EcosystemRestoration
- Support for a statewide waste levy and container deposit scheme
- Improved dog walking facilities and also protection of native fauna from dogs
- Strengthened action and commitments for aboriginal people, our youth and older citizens, people with disabilities and the LGBTQI+ community; Hobart should be a city for all
Many solutions take big picture thinking. I see the value in working with other councils on issues such as climate change – as chair of the Regional Climate Change Initiative, I have overseen valuable work on a Coastal Hazards Strategy and capturing southern councils’ carbon footprints. Recently I represented the Lord Mayor in Canberra to meet with Ministers, crossbench and opposition members to identify ways to work with the federal and state governments to prioritise capital cities’ major housing and climate change infrastructure.
(In Canberra as part of the Capital City Lord Mayors meeting with Treasurer Jim Chalmers MP)
(Meeting Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather in Canberra to talk on issues on housing and climate change)
There is still much more to be done, and it will require a Council that has the will to respond to these major challenges. Over the course of next term if elected, I want Hobart Council to:
- Continue to seek real solutions for housing so that Hobart can be Everybody’s Home
- Improve the rollout of responses to climate change through community resilience-building, mitigation and adaptation measures.
- Ensure green spaces flourish and are accessible
- Strengthen social, pedestrian and bike infrastructure to better connect our communities
- Improve the planning experience, for both applicants and representors
- Encourage the benefits of developer contributions which improve the public realm
- Provide better coordination to support those running businesses and who want to and are attracted by Hobart’s brand.
- Spearhead a coordinated approach to sports facilities across southern Tasmania
- Increase the number of fenced off-lead areas for dogs
CLICK HERE FOR THE HOBART GREENS' HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS STATEMENT
CLICK HERE FOR POSITION ON UTAS MOVE FROM SANDY BAY TO THE CITY
Hero image credit: Peter Mathew
