A challenge by the local Labor branch over whether the local Ballina Greens MP has delivered on her pre-election pledges to the community drew a quick reply to The Echo.
Ballina MP Tamara Smith came under scrutiny from acting Labor secretary Asren Pugh, who told The Echo, ‘Council’s general manager has rightly called out the state and federal Liberal-National Party governments for failing to deliver their election promises for our community.’
‘The question is, why he didn’t call out our local state Greens MP, Tamara Smith, on why she hasn’t delivered on her own election promises?’
Mr Pugh listed six ‘undelivered’ promises prior to being elected, but Ms Smith replied, ‘I have either delivered, or am in the process of delivering/supporting all of the promises listed by Labor bar one, and that was stopping the Roundhouse sale which Byron Council, with a Labor deputy mayor, sold off before I could raise the money.’
A tad unfair
‘Since I’m only halfway through my first term, it does seem a tad unfair for Labor to say I haven’t achieved all of my election promises yet.’
As for the promises, Ms Smith says $15 million has been secured to replace all the demountable classrooms at Byron Bay Public School.
‘In 2015 and 2016 I worked with the then-principal of Byron Public School and the regional education director Peter Campbell to secure a permanent building schedule for the school. The design and plans for new buildings to replace the demountable classrooms are in progress as I write and are likely to be funded at much more that the $15 million.’
She says the $100,000 Water Lily Park in Ocean Shores upgrade received ‘$50,000 through the Community Building Partnership Program in 2016 with more to come.’
A 2.4km bike and pedestrian path along Balemo Drive in Ocean Shores, worth $546,000, is still in progress and Ms Smith is ‘working with Byron Shire Council to deliver.’
Returning Brunswick Foreshore Crown Reserve to Council’s control is also in progress. ‘I am working closely still with the Brunswick Heads Progress Association and ongoing representations to government.’
A new $15 million Indoor Sports Centre in Ballina has been delivered, says Ms Smith.
‘I brokered with the department of education and communities and the then Nationals minister for education Adrian Piccoli for a brand-new indoor sports centre for Ballina which is a done deal and will actually be a $20 million centre, attached to the new Ballina Coast High School. It will have a four-court basketball stadium which I also promised to deliver.
As for $2.5 million to purchase the Ocean Shores Roundhouse site, Ms Smith says she was ‘unable to deliver in time before Council – with a Labor deputy mayor – voted to sell off the Roundhouse site.’
‘We all know that the 16 years that Labor held government in NSW was one of the darkest eras for our community. National Party MP (then member for Ballina Don Page) was punished by Labor for 16 years and our community was starved of infrastructure and our share. In just under two years I delivered the new marine tower for Ballina and stacks of other things, just to address Labor’s cheap shot.’
A challenge by the local Labor branch over whether the local Ballina Greens MP has delivered on her pre-election pledges to the community drew a quick reply to The Echo.
Ballina MP Tamara Smith came under scrutiny from acting Labor secretary Asren Pugh, who told The Echo, ‘Council’s general manager has rightly called out the state and federal Liberal-National Party governments for failing to deliver their election promises for our community.’
‘The question is, why he didn’t call out our local state Greens MP, Tamara Smith, on why she hasn’t delivered on her own election promises?’
Mr Pugh listed six ‘undelivered’ promises prior to being elected, but Ms Smith replied, ‘I have either delivered, or am in the process of delivering/supporting all of the promises listed by Labor bar one, and that was stopping the Roundhouse sale which Byron Council, with a Labor deputy mayor, sold off before I could raise the money.’
