Why not a ferry service on Lake Macquarie?

I was interviewed on local ABC radio this morning to air my views that a ferry service on Lake Macquarie is a great idea. It is ludicrous that there is no public transport on the lake at all! Surely the state government could conduct a feasibility study rather than just dismiss it as the sitting member for Swansea did today in response. The fact is that the state government is going to have to really begin to take action on climate change and peak oil! How long can we continue to build more roads, build more cars.....? We need better, more effective and more convenient public transport to get cars off the roads and with an improved bus service from ferry wharves, think about how many people would be willing to park and ride or even cycle from home to ferry wharf and then to work from the destination point. It is merely populist rhetoric that keeps politicians (and candidates I might add!) promising to upgrade this road, or add an extra one here etc. The truth is that people would be more willing to utilise public transport on a regular basis if it was really more convenient, reliable and frequent. Tell me what you think....

2011 NSW state election - Here we go again!!

Yes it's on again, election campaign time! I am officially announced as the Greens candidate for the NSW state seat of Swansea, a huge electorate currently held by ALP Robert Coombes. A very safe Labor seat with a margin of about 15%, this time it will be different! Mr Coombes has upset quite a few people with his silence of the massive overdevelopment proposal by Rose Group and Coal and Allied at Catherine Hill Bay and Gwandalan. By the way there is a rally planned for 9.30am Saturday 5 Feb at Catho if you can make it! The whole Part 3A legislation must be disposed of - it strips councils of any power and rides roughshod over local communities.

Another big issue has been Housing NSW self-approving low cost affordable housing on sites that have not been properly assessed and without undertaking any community consultation at all.

The Greens offer a real alternative to the two old parties and I believe the people of Swansea will not automatically vote ALP this time yet are not quite ready to vote for a Coalition government. I think we'll see a big swing to the Greens again in 2011!