1 Candidate details
Name: Marny Bonner
Council: Lismore City
Town/city: Lismore
Number of years in shire/LGA: 32
Current councillor? No
Clubs/sports/interests: Founder, Australian Seabird Rescue; regional councillor, Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia; CSG-Free Northern Rivers; small-business mentoring; boating.
Are you a member of a political party or an organised ‘ticket’? Yes
If yes, which party or who else is on your ticket?: ‘Our Sustainable Future’, a local-government grouping independent of any major parties. I share the Lismore ticket with Simon Clough, Ruth Harlow, Dr Leigh Davison, Annie Kia and Stuart Anderson.
Brief description: Independent, energetic, focused; small-business owner with proven track record of commitment to community and environment (several awards for outstanding community service). Owner/manager of the Lismore Carboot Market since 1988.
2. What has motivated you to stand?
I believe that council will benefit from more independent councillors and improved gender balance. As a mature woman who is deeply connected to this community, with a range of life experience that includes 30 years’ administration in both corporate and public sectors, overcoming the challenge of poverty and lone parenting, starting and operating a small business for 25 years, starting and developing a community organisation over 20 years, I believe I have something to offer.
3 What is your vision for the shire/LGA?
- § continue revitalisation of the Lismore CBD
- § encourage village and suburban progress associations to provide communication links between communities and councillors
- § protect productive agricultural land from urban development and CSG mining
- § encourage sustainable practices and development with a focus on affordable housing
- § support development of cycleways, walkways and health activities in the urban communities
- § work towards sustainable water use (ie no new dams)
4 In your opinion, how can council best balance the need for further residential development with the need to preserve the local environment?
- Increase housing density in existing developed areas, including mixed zoning to provide incentives for townhouse and ‘granny flat’ development within existing suitable houses.
- Require developers to include a percentage of affordable housing and mixed density within new development as well as more sustainable housing design, including water and energy efficiency.
- sustainable water usage through ongoing education, rebates for water tanks and encouraging household recycling for toilet and garden use, to avoid the huge cost and loss of land to dam development
- partnering with churches, community groups and the state government to eliminate homelessness and hunger in the Lismore LGA
- sustainable housing development, including affordable housing
- encouraging biodiversity through promoting planting of native flora, regeneration and wildlife corridors
- eliminating single-use plastic bags
- animal welfare, both native and domestic
5 What particular issues do you feel strongly about?
§ continued revitalisation and promotion of the Lismore CBD, including cycleways and walking trails and activity infrastructure in parks
§ protecting agricultural land for ongoing food production, including strong opposition to CSG mining and supporting feral animal control
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