Resident in Henley for the last 20 years, I am a retired communications engineer and TAFE teacher and have been deeply engaged with the community since moving to the district. I brought here my passion for the environment and was a foundation member of the Gladesville & Betts Park bushcare group. Through this and other projects, I have been well connected with Hunters Hill Council, its people and processes during those 20 years.
I am a member of the Council's Bushland Management Advisory Committee, the Hunters Hill Historical Society, the Hunters Hill Trust, the Hunters Hill Croquet Club (as President), and I organise the annual Christmas celebration for the Henley district at the Happy Hens community garden. Through these connections, I have a good appreciation of local concerns and the range of perspectives held by the local community. I was a leading participant in the successful advocacy to Council to retain a natural grass surface when Gladesville Reserve was recently upgraded. I also made significant contributions to the Henley Precinct Masterplan.
My roles at the Overseas Telecommunications Commission and later Telstra included operation and expansion of telephone exchanges and submarine cable systems, then later in sales, product development and strategic planning, including for the merger with Telecom. Following this, I taught Information Systems and Project Management at Hornsby TAFE. I have a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Queensland, and several TAFE Certificates in Information Technology and Teaching.
I am a strong believer that tolerance and respect are key to successful personal interactions, and that these values should also characterise Council's relationship with the community. I believe that restoration of trust in the Council needs greater transparency together with earlier, effective consultation with all of the community, particularly on major projects, and that this will deliver lower costs, earlier outcomes and greater satisfaction.
Chris's Story
Soon after my arrival at Henley, concern arose over a potential long term lease of the Henley Community Centre, previously the Henley Bowling Club, to create a dedicated function centre for weddings and the like. With its outlook over the river, but with substantial costs to renovate the building, that would have been very attractive for many people.
The local community were to be affected greatly however. They rallied, and stood up against this development, and they were successful. They were concerned about noise, parking, and the danger of emergency services not being able to access Henley via its single entry road. They also saw that a valuable community facility, the only one in this area, would be lost to the benefit of a commercial operator.
Since then we’ve seen the Henley Community Centre grow to be a home for a very successful bridge club, for arts and exercise programs, for Council meetings with the community, and of course for the voting centre that we will use on 14 September. Outside, the Henley Community Garden has flourished, bringing residents and visitors from a wide area, providing a healthy space for community engagement and exercise.
All this could have been lost. But the Council of the day listened to its community. I observed that a respectful working relationship between Council and its community is essential to meet community needs and to achieve trust in Council and its processes.
Since that time, I’ve seen many cases where the community asks Council to reconsider when their needs are not being met, and in most cases, a sensible outcome is achieved. These have included the retention of natural grass when the oval at Gladesville Reserve was upgraded, the retention of the Hunters Hill Croquet Club at Figtree Park, and the halt to the potential sale of land at Bland Street Henley.
In each of these cases, the presence of Councillors who would listen to the community and to represent their interests when Council discussed and decided the matters was vitally important.
The benefits of open and transparent Council processes are enormous. We know that Council decisions can’t please everyone, but when Council chooses its intended outcome and builds momentum before consultation, the eventual cost of delivery is higher, time is wasted and trust is lost.
Vote Hunters Hill Independents in this election to maintain that trust in Council and to have your voice respected.
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