Aiming to build on their two existing councillors, the Ballina Greens have announced their team of candidates for the upcoming Ballina Shire Council elections, set for 14 September this year.
Councillor Kiri Dicker (Ward B) and Councillor Simon Chate (Ward C) have both announced they will stand for re-election in their respective wards. Councillors Dicker and Chate are the first Ballina Shire Councilors to announce their intentions for the upcoming election.
In Ward A, the Greens have announced business expert Erin Karsten as their candidate. Growing up on her family’s dairy farm in upstate New York, Erin went on to have a successful career as a business and sustainability specialist with a focus on renewable energy and corporate real estate. She now lives in Ballina with her partner.
The Greens have also announced small business owner and creative professional Alexander Sharkey as their supporting candidate in B Ward. Mr Sharkey is well-known among small businesses in the Ballina Shire and is keen to represent their needs and interests on council.
Kiri Dicker grew up in Lennox Head and began her career as a youth housing worker in Ballina before a yearning for purpose and adventure led her to a global career in the aid and development sector.
Cr Dicker came back to Lennox Head to raise her own family and now works as the Community Impact Manager for the Northern Rivers Community Foundation.
She holds a Masters Degree in Community Development and Emergency Management from SCU among other postgraduate qualifications.
Issues
Kiri Dicker said, ‘Planning should be influenced by community needs, not profits for developers. I’ve stood up to big developers looking to sell-out local families and destroy environmentally sensitive areas.
‘Our council is in a privileged position to own significant parcels of residential land in Wollongbar and Lennox Head. If you vote for the Greens we’ll ensure that this land is used to build affordable rental housing for local workers. This will address a critical need in our community and support our small businesses, who are reliant on low-income workers.
‘We need leaders at every level of government who are willing to stand up for our environment,’ said Cr Dicker. ‘Our shire has the lowest percentage of native vegetation anywhere in the Northern Rivers and we can’t afford to lose any more. Greens on Council have a long history of pioneering rural landowner programs that support landowners to protect and expand native vegetation.
‘I’ve sat by and watched this council make some of the worst environmental decisions in its history and we need to make this the election where we turn things around for the better.’
Cr Simon Chate said, ‘As well as being a family man, a musician, a choir director and teacher, I am one of two sitting Greens Councillors on Ballina Shire Council.
‘Since being elected in 2021, I have gained considerable insight into the processes of council and have acquired a depth of experience in debating in the council arena.
‘Being a councillor is about taking the time to listen to people and find out what they need,’ said Cr Chate. ‘It’s about opening pathways of communication between council staff and the local ratepayers and ensuring that issues of concern are addressed and effectively dealt with in a timely manner.
‘On the first Saturday of each month during my term on council, I have made myself available for this community consultation with my Listening Posts in Alstonville Plaza and have spoken to thousands of locals. I see this form of communication as essential to the role of councillor.’
Be the change
Erin Karsten said, ‘After the floods in 2022, I decided to join the Greens to be the change that I want to see! In running for council. I hope to leverage my 25 year professional and corporate career in sustainable building, design and construction to help Ballina plan for affordable and sustainable housing and infrastructure now and into the future.
‘I hope we can find ways to attract and retain small businesses to help our vibrant community flourish,’ said Ms Karsten.
‘I want to help support Ballina to ensure it is a safe, affordable, connected and walkable community. All the things that are core to the Greens principles and values which align with my own personal history, experience and set of values.
‘I’d be proud to represent the Greens on the Ballina Council and use my passion and experience to fearlessly represent our community. Last election, we were only a couple of hundred votes away from electing a Greens Councillor in Ward A. This is our best chance to pick up a seat on Council, and that means I can work alongside Kiri and Simon to make sure everyone in Ballina has a Greens Councillor.
‘The Greens have an incredible track record on the issues that matter – fighting for affordable housing, environmental sustainability and grassroots democracy. But we won’t get action on these issues if we don’t vote for it, and that’s why I’m running for council.’
Business and housing
Alexander Sharkey said, ‘I’ve been a proud resident and small business owner of the Ballina Shire for nearly a decade. The warmth of the community and coastal charm initially drew my wife and I to this area, fostering a sense of connection through local markets, supporting small businesses, engaging in jam nights, and simply sharing casual conversations in the surf.
‘Having experienced the challenges and uncertainties of renting for the past nine years, as well as becoming a recent first-time home buyer, I grasp the complexities of these situations in our area,’ said Mr Sharkey.
‘I believe in addressing the housing crisis by offering affordable solutions to both the low and middle income earning population that are vital to sustaining our local workforce, as well as balancing development with conservation and regeneration of our unique landscape, the last remnants of the Big Scrub.’
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
Twelve Northern Rivers residents are celebrating the completion of a groundbreaking program designed to build essential skills and unlock employment pathways for women in civil construction. With local government meeting practice across the state returning to confusion following the NSW Legislative Council's recent decision, Ballina Shire Council's last meeting included a lot of unanimous decisions and an argument about the remnants of the Big Scrub, in which Mayor Cadwallader used her casting vote to squash Cr Simon Chate's motion. Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved Ballina Shire Council's application to increase its general income through a permanent special variation (SV) of 26.25% [in rates] over four years, from 2026-27 to 2029-30. Byron Greens members could expect to be asked to take the future of the Richmond River further south into account when choosing a candidate for next year’s state election. Local business owners in the Alstonville and Wollongbar townships are being encouraged to take the time to read through Ballina Shire Council’s draft plans, which are currently on exhibition.
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