Georgina KER
Candidate for: Mayor
Q1. What are your top priorities if elected to the City of Bayswater council?
If elected, my priorities across my term would be to deliver improvements in the areas of active transport, tree canopy and climate, and placemaking/community. Specific examples across each of these areas include:
- Keeping the City on track to achieve the goals set in the new Bike Plan, and progressing Safe Routes to School initiatives
- Supporting the establishment of an Active Transport Advisory Committee, as supported by Council at the August meeting following my motion at the AGM of Electors.
- Reaffirming support for an 'opt-out' verge tree policy, and investigating how the roll-out of underground power across areas of the City can be harnessed to significantly improve tree canopy in those areas.
- Reintroducing participatory budgeting
- Investigating options to reinvigorate town centres in Maylands and Bayswater by involving residents and businesses.
Q2. How will you improve the management and reduction of waste in the City of Bayswater?
Given the recent decision by Council to exit the Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO program and return the grant money, I will request that the City investigate other options for reducing the amount of waste going to landfill across the City, including possibly budgeting for the optional replacement of red-lidded bins with smaller sizes and incentive schemes that may encourage residents to take up this option.
Concerns were raised by some councillors about the rates of contamination in our current FOGO waste channel, so I would like to see greater transparency around this so that the City can target education and/or incentive programs.
I would also like to investigate improvements to how we manage waste in public spaces and at City events.
Q3. What will you do to enable more walking and cycling in the City of Bayswater?
For a start, I lead by example! My e-bike is my main form of transport. There's nothing quite like lived experience to inform planning and decisions. Some of my priorities above cover this item. I will always consider the needs of pedestrians and cyclists in any development or plan, so that pedestrians and cyclists can feel safe, and by supporting additional tree planting, our streetscapes will be more pleasant to walk or cycle down.
I would also like to assess and improve the City's response rate to damaged or inadequate footpaths. This will have benefits for all users but particularly people with disabilities, seniors and parents of young children.
Q4. What will you do to increase the City of Bayswater tree canopy from its current 14.55%, to its target of 20% by 2030
As above, I will continue to support an 'opt-out' verge tree policy and specifically target the areas of the City that will have underground power installed, as target areas to significantly improve tree canopy. I will continue to support tree planting by the City in its parks and reserves, and community planting days around our wetlands and river system. Furthermore, I will support any effort to prevent removal of healthy mature trees. We can't improve canopy by planting plenty of saplings while we are allowing healthy mature trees to be removed. The desires of property owners should be considered, however they must be balanced with the greater good of ALL City of Bayswater residents and of our planet.
Q5. How will you help our community reduce emissions and support us in a move to renewable energy?
If elected, I will ask the City to investigate partnerships similar to Mitcham's Community Renewables Scheme, where we can harness bulk purchasing power to get a better deal for our residents and businesses at no cost to the City. I will also advocate for the introduction of community batteries by working with Synergy and other agencies to promote suitable locations in the City of Bayswater.
