Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla)
Blue Mountains City Council Election
10th September 2016
10th September 2016
The Blue Mountains Conservation Society presents everything you need to know about the 2016 Council Election from an environmental perspective.
Questionnaire Response - Ward 3
There are 4 "lead" candidates in Ward 3.
The candidates' full response to our questionnaire is listed below. Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot paper.
- Joel MacRae (The Greens) candidate's response
- Shae Foenander (Independent) candidate's response
- Mick Fell (Labor) candidate's response
- Daniel Myles (Liberal) candidate's response
Preface
What follows is a tabulation of the candidate's responses to the questionnaire to allow a comparison.
Each question, except Question 13 and “Personal conservation goals”, has an implicit preface of "As a BMCC Councillor I will".
Candidates were asked to answer each question with a "yes" or "no" - there being no assumed answer if left blank.
The last item on the questionnaire - a statement of personal conservation values - is provided first.
Personal conservation values
If elected, what will you do for the environment? Outline one or more projects/issues that you intend to
work on ? – limit 100 words.
Joel MacRae (The Greens)
As a Green I have a firm belief in ecological sustainability and identify that we are facing a climate emergency. If elected, I would dedicate my time to setting the goal of and developing strategies to make the Blue Mountains a zero emissions community. This would start with developing a low carbon strategy for all of Blue Mountains City Council operations, which will expand to include the whole community. Such a strategy will encompass a range of policy areas including renewables, land, water and waste management, and public transport to name a few. Council will need to take a leading role in facilitating all stakeholders in such an ambitious endeavour.
Shae Foenander (Independent)
I will fight to protect our World Heritage.
I will strongly oppose mass development.
I will support any movement to keep our waterways clean and pollutant free.
I will strongly advocate for protection of our wildlife, fauna and flora against any threat to their survival and existence.
I will Strongly and passionately fight against the development of BCA as I have been doing for the last 10 months.
I will support any ban on coal seam gas mining in the Blue Mountains.
I will oppose any movement toward removing our Character housing zoning.
I will support our current L.E.P in protecting our environment.
I will strongly oppose mass development.
I will support any movement to keep our waterways clean and pollutant free.
I will strongly advocate for protection of our wildlife, fauna and flora against any threat to their survival and existence.
I will Strongly and passionately fight against the development of BCA as I have been doing for the last 10 months.
I will support any ban on coal seam gas mining in the Blue Mountains.
I will oppose any movement toward removing our Character housing zoning.
I will support our current L.E.P in protecting our environment.
Mick Fell (Labor)
I intend to continue advocating for environmental protection policy appropriate to the unique nature of our area.
This includes ensuring protection of the urban/natural interface with the World heritage wilderness Area and water catchment.
I will continue to advocate for the preservation of our unique towns and villages and the lifestyle we enjoy as residents.
This includes ensuring protection of the urban/natural interface with the World heritage wilderness Area and water catchment.
I will continue to advocate for the preservation of our unique towns and villages and the lifestyle we enjoy as residents.
Daniel Myles (Liberal)
In the next term, I intend to drive a public debate about the effects that the growth of Sydney is starting to have on our local area. The spread of the population and the rise in housing prices in the Western Suburbs will make the Mountains a more attractive place to live. However, this will come at the cost of what makes the Blue Mountains special. The Blue Mountains population needs to be clear on what the impact on our precious residential amenity and quality of life will be.
Natural areas - Bushland protection and restoration
| 1. | Support Council's current funding to Bushcare and Bush regeneration activities: |
a) being maintained
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes subject to knowing the budget |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Being maintained. Happy to discuss increases in the course of this term |
b) being increased
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes subject to advice about budget |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to availability of State/Federal funding |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal |
Postamble: The 2016-17 budget for bushcare funds 1 full time and 6 part time positions and the bush regeneration budget supports 6 full time positions.
| 2. | Support an increase in the Noxious Weeds program by extending the number of catchments targeted each year, and by providing more private property weed education and advice. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes subject to financial advice regarding budget |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to staff advice |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
| 3. | Support Council maintaining its budget for bushwalking track maintenance and development, using Nature Based Recreation Licence Fees for additional work and actively pursuing opportunities for additional Commonwealth and State funding. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to staff advice |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
Enforcement of Environmental Regulations
| 4. | Support Council taking a strong and consistent approach to enforcement of breaches of environmental regulations: |
a) by taking legal action against illegal clearing of natural bushland
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
b) by initiating the establishment of a specialist environmental enforcement unit of suitably trained staff
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes I would support this subject to advice |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to staff advice |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | No. I prefer to have many staff across BMCC Health & Development trained in this area for greater flexibility rather than a specialist unit. |
| 5. | Support the development and implementation of a Council Land Encroachment Policy to address degradation of bushland reserves caused by the use of this land by neighbouring private landholders. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes. Absolutely |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
Postamble: Currently there are issues of residents degrading Council bushland reserves adjacent to their properties by using the land to park vehicles, stockpile materials, locate trampolines, dispose of garden waste, or mowing etc.
Waste
| 6. | Support |
a) the introduction of a financial incentive for residents to compost their own waste
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes on the condition that State or Federal Grant is allocated |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to staff advice |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | No. Excessive composting in the past has lead to an increase in rat numbers. Composting is fine for individuals but on a large scale, would be one step forward and several steps back. |
b) the re-introduction of Council educational programs to encourage a range of waste minimisation practices
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
| 7. | Promote change to the waste collection systems for businesses in order to encourage reuse and re-cycling. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes subject to State or Federal Grants |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to the availability of State/federal funding |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes. BMCC should never have got out of this business. |
Postamble: Commercial properties are not provided with the same recycling services as residents, and there is no incentive for businesses to recycle waste.
Planning and development
| 8. | Support ensuring all the existing environmental protection measures currently included in the Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan 2015 (LEP 2015) are not undermined or removed in future amendments, including retaining: |
a) all existing provisions aimed at minimising environmental impacts of new development
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
b) all areas currently mapped as Protected Areas.
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
c) all areas currently zoned environmental protection (E2).
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
Postamble: The LEP 2015 governs how and where new development can proceed, and what environmental standards new developments must meet. This LEP must be reviewed and updated in the next few years.)
| 9. | Oppose the State Government imposing a new housing target on the Blue Mountains, designed to increase the housing stock in order to accommodate Sydney’s growing population. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes. I will strongly oppose this plan |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
| 10. | Oppose any future re-zoning of land aimed at increasing the areas available for medium density housing development. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Strongly oppose. I support Conservation Society fully. |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes, subject to staff advice |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes! |
Postamble: Some submissions during the development of LEP 2015, mainly from developers, advocated extending the medium density housing zone, R3, by rezoning land adjacent to the village centres. This is despite the Council Residential Strategy 2010 concluding that there is adequate vacant residential lots to meet expected population forecasts, and that current opportunities for medium density development are under-utilised.)
| 11. | Protect the built heritage and large garden and bushland lots of the Blue Mountains townships by supporting the village precinct objectives and proposed R6 Residential Character Conservation Zone in LEP 2015. |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes. Will fight to protect this zoning |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes! |
Postamble: The Blue Mountains towns are famous for their large lot residential areas featuring older character housing, 'leafy green streets' and display gardens as well as natural bushland. Some submissions during the development of LEP 2015 opposed the introduction of R6.)
| 12. | Oppose the introduction of the SP3 Tourism Zone which will increase the opportunities for large-scale, resort-style tourism development |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | I do not support further mass development |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Will take staff advice |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | No. I support this zone. Tourism is a great creator of local, sustainable and low-impact jobs |
Postamble: Tourism in the Blue Mountains is currently characterised by locally owned and operated small-scale accommodation and nature and heritage-based activities.
This ensures that visual and natural amenity, environmental protection and World Heritage values are preserved, and that the tourist dollar stays in the local community.
Will you publicly and strongly support Council’s current position opposing:
| 13. |
a) Coal Seam Gas exploration and extraction in the Local Government Area.
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes, Absolutely |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | You bet! |
b) The transport of nuclear waste through the Blue Mountains.
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Yes, with no hesitation. |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |
c) The building of an airport at Badgerys Creek in Western Sydney.
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Joel MacRae | Greens | Yes |
| Shae Foenander | Ind. | Massively oppose an Airport in Western Sydney. I have been a very strong advocate for Western Sydney in opposing BCA . I am an executive member of RAWSA and I am on the Mayoral Reference Committee against BCA airport |
| Mick Fell | Labor | Yes |
| Daniel Myles | Liberal | Yes |