Some of the first questions that a candidate gets asked are: "Why are you running for Council?" and "What are your policies?" I will answer the second question in a separate post, meanwhile, I shall respond to the first.
I am running for Council because after being away from Australia for such a long time, and having the experience of being an outsider with no real say in how my neighbourhood worked, I decided that once I returned to Adelaide, I would get involved with democracy in general and my community in particular.
I joined a number of organisations, starting with the Gawler Environment and Heritage Association, as my little son and myself stayed with my mother in Gawler until we found our feet and moved into St Morris. GEHA were a wonderful welcoming mob and I still follow their activities with great interest.
I joined Bicycle Institute of South Australia, and after I completed my Permaculture Design Certificate at The Food Forest in Gawler, 2009, I joined Sustainable Communities NPSP (as they were known then), the Permaculture Association of South Australia, and Permaculture Education Zone. I later became a member of my local Greens branch, the Eastern Suburbs Greens. All this was while studying for my Master of Teaching (Junior Primary and Primary) at UniSA Magill campus. During this time I have also helped plan and facilitate a Weekend Permaculture Workshop, a Professional Development workshop for middle school teachers on Permaculture in the classroom, and an "Introduction to Transition in SA" Weekend.
I became involved in the 2010 State and Federal Elections as a volunteer for the Greens. I had not considered standing for Local Government until I had a conversation with Steven Marshall, MP for Norwood, concerning his Bicycle Boulevard Proposal. I realised that improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the local area is very much the concern of the local council. Our conversation moved on to street design, house design, waste management and water and community gardens, and I realised, Yes, I should run for NPSP Council!
My partner Jeremy is completing his Masters in Regional and Urban Planning, and we have many conversations about the latest research and concepts in sustainable urban planning, from both a neighbourhood and household perspective. We are both committed to low impact community orientated living, and volunteering and committee work is a large part of our lives.
My background is somewhat unusual for a local government candidate. I am a professional musician, and I have had the opportunity to travel and work in a wonderful variety of ways. I started at the Elder Conservatorium of Music studying classical clarinet in 1990, and my work has included the SA Police Band, The Phantom of the Opera, Jazz Festivals around Australia and Europe, cruise ships around the world and a long stint in Barcelona. I have always been involved in teaching, and I have put together many large concerts and organised small festivals.
But in some ways my most satisfying music work has been as a street musician, because in that context, I am playing music that is available to the whole community, young and old, rich and poor, sick and well, advantaged and disadvantaged. I am passionate about equity and access. My experiences as a musician have taught me about the value of community and fairness, and it is for this reason that I am running for council.
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