1 Candidate details
Name: Carolyn Byrne
Council: Tweed
Town/city: KINGSCLIFF
Number of years in shire/LGA: 6
Current councillor? No
Clubs/sports/interests: Kingscliff Beach Club and Cabarita Sports Club
Interests: advocating for seniors and prevention of elder abuse in our community.
Are you a member of a political party or an organised ‘ticket’? No
Brief description: Kingscliff resident, lawyer and lecturer at Bond University. Prior to that I was a registered nurse and I have also acted as director of faculty, educational manager and teacher at TAFE.
2 What has motivated you to stand?
Our group is concerned with the Tweed’s future. Financially the balance sheet of council is strong but in 10/11 income fell more than $1 million and costs increased by over $5 million (versus previous FY). This is not sustainable. Our policies will be released in the ensuing weeks with a focus on: investment and our future, planning, business both small and large, our community, securing our water for the future, affordable rates without the loss of services, and coal-seam gas. Our group consists of local business owners and we are looking forward to making a contribution to the community and Tweed Shire Council, which is one of the biggest commercial entities and employers in our region. Our group is all about teamwork; we are motivated, hardworking, and we will make things happen and we want to share our vision with you.
3 What is your vision for the shire/LGA?
One word… teamwork. Councillors and council staff (policy and operation) need to be all singing from the same page in the hymn book. A harmonious team with the same vision will make things happen and the Carolyn Byrne group is focused on making this happen. We believe the new GM has the economic background and intestinal fortitude to be the glue in this process.
4 In your opinion, how can council best balance the need for further residential development with the need to preserve the local environment?
Where we live is amazing. Diversity everywhere from the beaches to the rivers and creeks beyond to the Caldera. Equally diverse are the people that live from Tweed Heads to Doon Doon to Numinbah and out to Mooball. There is no short version to answer this question as growth comes with both costs and benefits and like any financial balance sheet these two important factors must be taken into account. Tweed requires a stable state economy where growth is managed responsibly, taking into account our local environment, and the preservation of this is documented in policy within the Tweed Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and the Tweed Development Control Plan (DCP)
5 What particular issues do you feel strongly about?
This answer to this question is encapsulated in the answers with from Questions 2 and 3.
More information will be released shortly via our website on www.carolynbyrnefortweed.com.au.
