In the Cove asked each candidate who has nominated for the State seat of Lane Cove to tell us their top five priorities for the electorate. Set our below are their responses in the order they were received.
Penny Pederson – Labor
My name is Penny Pedersen. I have lived in East Ryde with my husband and our two teenage boys for 16 years.
I studied theatre at UNSW and worked in film, television, Theatre, and radio. I’ve been on Ryde council since 2017; Vice President of NSROC, Vice chair of the Parramatta River Catchment Group; Board director of Local Government NSW and the Australian Local Government Womens Association; NSW organiser for the Labor Environment action network (who push for a more progressive platform on Climate and environment policy); Delegate to the NSW music festival roundtable; certified wildlife rescuer and carer.
My 5 priorities for the Lane Cove Electorate:
- Fix the buses!
- Fairer renting and affordable housing
- Keep Nurses in hospitals and attract more nurses to the sector.
- Keep our teachers in our schools and attract more to the profession
- Reduce emissions and protect our biodiversity.
Labor has a plan to make NSW’s education system world-class again, rejuvenating our preschools, schools and TAFE. We’ll repair and rebuild our health system after 12 years of neglect. We’ll increase access to affordable and reliable transport and cap road tolls to reduce the burden on the family budget. We’ll make good, sustainable housing attainable for buyers and renters. We’ll end the privatisation of our energy assets and create a state-owned clean energy corporation to deliver cleaner and more reliable energy. We’ll build an economy that is resilient and works for people and small businesses – not the other way around.
And that’s just the start. Read more about the Labor Fresh Start Plan for NSW here.
Please scroll through my social media to see all the local projects I’ve initiated over the last 5-6 years in our electorate:
Facebook:@pennypedersenlabor
Instagram:@pennypedersenlabor
Website: https://www.pennyforlanecove.com
Victoria Davidson – Independent
I will assess the major parties’ positions against the policy priorities the Lane Cove community has raised with me, with a particular focus on:
Integrity
Integrity in politics must be at the centre of government decision making in order to restore public trust. I will push to stop pork barrelling by legislating grants administration, and end the “jobs for mates” culture by overhauling public appointment processes. I will also push for ICAC and other NSW oversight bodies to have independent funding.
Climate
I will push the next government in NSW to legislate faster emissions reduction targets. There must be clear planning for all sectors, and transparent public reporting of progress. I will push to stop new coal and gas projects: we must secure a safe climate for current and future generations.
Environment
I will fight to protect our unique biodiversity, including Koala habitat. We must end native forest logging and transition to 100% sustainable timber plantations by 2024. I will ban the clearing of active Koala habitat, and support an expansion of the National Park estate.
Pokie Reform
Adoption of the strongest possible, evidence based reforms to address the social harms of problem gambling including implementation of an ID linked, mandatory cashless gaming card. This must be rolled out in the next term of Parliament, and include built-in harm minimisation measures including default loss limits.
Health
I support the implementation of the National Preventive Health Strategy to reduce the human and economic costs of chronic disease and to ensure the future sustainability of our health system. We must address critical nursing shortages through full support for higher wages and nurse to patient load ratios. I am also strongly committed to tackling the vaping epidemic in young people.
Further detail on my policy commitments are here: https://www.victoriadavidson.com.au/policy
Facebook: @VictoriaDavidson4LaneCove
Instagram: @victoriadavidson4lanecove
Website: https://www.victoriadavidson.com.au/
Heather Armstrong – Greens
My top five priorities are:
- Improve the standard of living for everyone across New South Wales. Address the housing crisis by significant reforms for renters and investing in more public, social and affordable housing. Scrap the public sector wages cap, invest to ensure lower energy prices and build affordable housing. Make public transport cheaper and ensure public schools are genuinely free.
- Restore democracy in urban planning, and local councils as the consent and certifying authority for property development. Restore citizens’ right to object to proposed development. Legislate high quality, sustainable dwelling standards with adequate local schools and health facilities, and green space. Increase tree canopy and control private tree loss, to prevent unliveable heat islands.
- Bring bus transport back into public ownership and restore the State Transit Authority. Stop spending billions on roads and tunnels, and invest in more public transport, and safe, active bike and pedestrian infrastructure to reduce car usage. Invest in electric vehicles and charging stations, and research and development to reduce pollution from transport.
- Stop uncontrolled rural land clearing and native forest logging. Stop new coal and gas exploration and licensing. Only allow offsets for unavoidable environmental damage.
- Support increased nurse to patient ratios in hospitals, adequate health funding and better pay for nurses. Remove the cap on pay rises for public servants.
I support the implementation of the National Preventive Health Strategy to reduce the human and economic costs of chronic disease and to ensure the future sustainability of our health system. We must address critical nursing shortages through full support for higher wages and nurse to patient load ratios. I am also strongly committed to tackling the vaping epidemic in young people.
Facebook: @heatherarmstrongforlanecove
Website: https://greens.org.au/nsw/person/heather-armstrong
Ben Wise – Sustainable Australia Party
My top 5 priorities are:
- Protecting our environment. In part, this can be done by stricter planning laws to save our local tree canopies from destruction, reducing our local waste production and strong action on climate change.
- Stopping overdevelopment. This can be done by returning real planning powers to the local community through its Council, delivering new community infrastructure before more housing density and stabilising Australia population size.
- Stopping corruption. This can be done by more transparent reporting of political donations and lobbying, and banning political donations from big business and unions.
- Greater housing affordability. This can be done through more investment in public and social housing, as well as advocating that the Federal Government bans foreign ownership and phases out tax concessions for properties investors such as negative gearing and capital gains tax.
- Addressing problem gambling. This can be done by introducing a mandatory registered, cashless gaming card system and implementing the Productivity Commission’s $1 maximum bets per spin. Limiting losses to $120 per hour.
Facebook: @VoteSustainable
Instagram: @votesustainable
Website: https://www.sustainableaustralia.org.au/
Anthony Roberts – Liberal
My top five priorities are
Enhancing and Protecting Our Environment and Open Space:
I am committed to ensuring that our community has access to the best possible open space and facilities, and I will continue to push for investment into new parks, new swim sites, new tree canopies and bush regeneration.
Critical Infrastructure Delivery:
Since the Coalition Government came to power in 2011 our Electorate has seen significant upgrades to our Roads and Public Transport Infrastructure and the delivery of new first responder stations, if re-elected I will ensure that Lane Cove continues to have has the infrastructure and service delivery it deserves.
Supporting our Sporting Groups and Youth:
One of my proudest moments in this parliamentary term has been the delivery of a new sports pavilion at Tantallon Oval and turning the sod for the Boronia Park Sports Pavilion.
Not only have we provided world class facilities, but we’ve provided basics such as female change rooms, having listened to feedback from families in the community. I am committed to continuing the delivery of more sporting facilities such as the Lane Cove Sports and Rec Centre.
World Class Education and Early Learning:
A local priority of mine since first being elected has been investment into school infrastructure, there is not a school that has not benefitted from significant upgrades, and I want to continue our work in the school infrastructure space as well as the roll out of more administrative staff within public schools, so teachers can get back to what they do best, teaching.
Addressing the Bus Shortage:
The Liberals and Nationals are the only parties that have laid out a plan to fix the shortage of bus drivers, and if re-elected I will ensure that our 4 point plan is implemented and we get the bus services back up to scratch.
Facebook: @AnthonyRobertsMP
Instagram: @anthonyroberts.mp
Website: https://www.anthonyrobertsmp.com.au/
Voting Has Commenced
Early Voting starts on 18 March 2022. You can vote for the Lane Cove Electorate in Lane Cove at the Lane Cove Council Centre. You can also pre poll at Hunters Hill Town Hall.
We will let you know the polling booths for election day asap and of course where you can get your democracy snag.
The draw for positions on the Ballet Paper for the Lane Cove Electorate in the March 2023 State Election took place on Thursday 9 March 2023. The positions are below.
ITC’s Meet the Candidates
In the Cove hosted an online Meet the Candidates Forum on 7th March 2023. All four candidates participated. The format was a five minuted presentation and then a Q and A session.
In alphabetical order, the Lane Cove State Electorate Candidates are:
Heather Armstrong (Greens)
Victoria Davidson (Indpendent)
Penny Pederson (Labor)
Anthony Roberts (Liberal)
You can view the online forum here.
Help Support Local and Independent News
You can support us in three ways:
- Become an ITC reader sponsor – Feel free to be a reader sponsor if you have enjoyed our local news coverage and would like to be an ITC reader sponsor. You can sponsor us with a monthly sponsorship fee. We have reader sponsors who sponsor us for $5.00 a month and some who sponsor us for $100 a year – no amount is too small or too big. Thank you so much to the people who have already supported us via our press Patreon account. Help Us Here.
- Buy the ITC team a coffee – We now have a team, and they need to be paid – buy the ITC team a coffee (or two) and that will help us pay their wages and shout then a coffee Buy a Coffee here.
- Do you own a Lane Cove Business or a Lane Cove resident who owns a business, you can advertise with ITC – our packages start from a $30 monthly fee (for a 12-month commitment). Email us here for our rates card.
