Clarence Valley Council Deputy Mayor, Dr Greg Clancy, has announced that he will be running for The Greens in the upcoming NSW March elections this year for the seat of Clarence.
Dr Clancy sees the retirement of the sitting National Party candidate Chris Gulaptis at the end of this term, who is remembered for his pivotal role in the Koala Wars and reducing protections for koalas, as an opportunity for a change in party representation in this seat.
‘There is some sort of view that The Greens are off the planet. But when you look at what some in the Coalition actually say and do, it becomes apparent it’s The Greens who have their feet on the ground,’ said Dr Clancy.
At Greg Clancy’s campaign launch in Grafton, Greens MLC Sue Higginson welcomed the Clarence Valley Council Deputy Mayor’s decision to stand in the March State election.
‘The old ways of dealing with climate change, the cost of living and the housing crisis are not working. In Dr Greg Clancy, The Greens have an absolute champion on all these matters and he’s a proven leader,’ she said.
Casino incinerator
Speaking against the proposed Casino waste-to-energy incinerator, Dr Clancy said, ‘We do not need to be burning waste. We have to work on a circular economy where waste is seen as a resource to be recycled.’
Floods
The impact of the ‘unprecedented’ floods of early 2022 have left much of the Northern Rivers devastated and still recovering and Dr Clancy says he will continue to fight against floodplain development as he has since his election to Council in 2016.
‘Both the Prime Minister and the NSW Premier say development on floodplains needs to stop, but neither of them has said how it could be done. At our recent Council meeting, I moved successfully to get Council to seek legal advice on the implications of rezoning land on the Yamba floodplain,’ he explained.
‘Clarence Valley Council supports the No Mining policy, but our local member has failed us miserably. Will the new Nationals candidate make a clear statement on where he stands?’ he asked.
The Clarence NSW state electorate includes all of the Richmond Valley Council including Casino, Coraki, Woodburn, Evans Head and Tathamas well as all of the Clarence Valley Council including Grafton, Maclean, Yamba, Illuka, Junction Hill, Ulmarra, Coutts Crossing and Glenreagh.
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