A recent edition of the TT (March 17) featured a number of letters containing a wealth of material for candidates who might wish to respond. Here is one such response.

While we are not convinced that the new, post-amalgamation arrangements will be more economical or beneficial, The Greens are certainly committed to working with other councillors to achieve, in a non-adversarial way, the best social, environmental and democratic outcomes for ALL the residents and ratepayers of the ECCRC. And when the time comes, we will be glad to encourage wide community debate about a proper name for this new council.

There are nine people to be elected, and there was a suggestion that we should have only one candidate standing from the Braidwood district. This election should not be about entrenching parochialism - it should be about electing people who will act for the good of the whole council area, not just the area they come from. That is after all, what a system of proportional representation is all about. A Senator or a Member of the Legislative Council represents his/her whole state. And even in single-member electorates, the Member is supposed to work for the whole electorate, not just their own back yard.

Part of the job of the new council ought to be to stay in touch with people in the even the most far-flung reaches of the region, so precinct or neighbourhood committees may not be such a bad idea. Perhaps it would be preferable however, if council as a whole had roving meetings around the region so its constituents could keep them up-to-date with local concerns and issues.

And finally, before resorting to building large scale dams for people hundreds of km away, The Greens believe that we have a long way to go in implementing measures for effective water conservation, recycling and re-use. If communities cannot be self-sufficient in water consumption, perhaps they should stop allowing further development until they can be. If the Welcome Reef Dam raises its ugly head once again, the Greens will join the many others who will be campaigning against it for environmental and social reasons. And everyone should be contacting the State Government now to air extreme concern about the move to privatise our rivers. Water belongs to us all, and accordingly, it is up to all of us to use it responsibly and share it equitably.

Catherine Moore
Greens candidate for Eastern Capital City Regional Council elections, June 26
Charleys Forest
Braidwood

The Greens announced today that they will be running a ticket of six candidates in the new Eastern Capital City Regional Council elections, now delayed until May 1 after the Minister for Local Government, Tony Kelly, announced changes to the boundaries of a number of council areas last month. (more…)