Patricia Mason
Pat trained as an industrial chemist, gaining her qualifications in Hobart where she completed her education. She worked for a time at the Commonwealth Health Laboratory and then married and came to Nowra to live. She has lived in the Nowra area for forty-five years and has raised four children who were educated at Nowra Primary and Nowra High schools.
She was a Shoalhaven City Councillor from 1995- 2004 as part of Shoalhaven Community Action. She also has a 35 year association with progress associations as an executive member. John Hatton endorses her and says, “I have known Pat Mason for 40 years and I commend her as a community worker with both honesty and integrity.”
Pat has worked tirelessly for school based organizations and those in the wider community. She is a life member of Shoalhaven Art Society. Pat was a foundation member of Shoalhaven Riverwatch and has been a member for the last twenty-five years. More recently she has devoted herself to Landcare activities. John Kerin of the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority states, “I support Pat Mason’s efforts in natural resource management including her efforts to increase the environmental flows in the Shoalhaven River.”
She has extensive experience and understanding of how Council operates. In fact there is not a lot Pat doesn’t know. She says, ”It is important for Councillors to understand their role in Council and to see that there is equitable treatment of all issues.“ Pat is across the major issues and decisions that will impact on the Shoalhaven now and into the future, such as traffic problems in the Nowra CBD and North Nowra.
Pat is pleased to support the goals of Shoalhaven Action Campaign and, as a Councilor in Ward 1, she will ensure that community concerns are given priority.
Michelle Spooner
Michelle Spooner has lived and raised her son in Berry for the past 12 years.
Her professional background is in marketing and business development and she has worked at senior levels with businesses in the public and private sectors to build growth and improve performance. She has also worked in the education, financial services and health sectors.
Michelle introduced and established the SkillShare network on the South Coast and in Southern Sydney regions. She currently manages a business and marketing consultancy.
Michelle has maintained an active role in the community. She is currently on
the Board of Directors for the Flagstaff Group – an employer of people with disabilities with operations in Wollongong and the Shoalhaven. She is honorary Treasurer for IMBAC and past Treasurer for Berry OOSH (Out of School Hours care).
In support of her campaign Michelle says, “The face of the Shoalhaven is changing rapidly as more people move here to take advantage of the wonderful lifestyle our area offers. Strategic planning for infrastructure, housing, community services and employment is more important than ever if we wish to preserve the unique character of this area and build a sustainable future. The Shoalhaven needs Councillors who understand strategic planning and who can act professionally in the discharge of their duties.
Shoalhaven City Council is responsible for the management of a budget in excess of $250million and hundreds of millions of dollars in community assets. Councillors have an obligation to exercise due care and diligence in the discharge of their duties. One of these is the management of the city’s finances. Councillors also have an obligation to act ethically and transparently.
Like any board of directors, council is accountable to its shareholders - the ratepayers. Councillors have an obligation to fully inform themselves before making a decision by actively seeking comment from all levels of the community. Community consultation should be more than a token and council staff should be acknowledged as experts in their respective fields.”
If elected to Shoalhaven City Council Michelle will contribute knowledge and experience in governance and strategic planning. She has experience in the management of large, complex businesses and is committed to transparency and community involvement in the future of our city.
Barry Horton
Barry Horton is a local Shoalhaven resident having been born and raised in Nowra. Barry attended Nowra East and Nowra High schools and completed his trade apprenticeship and Clerk of Works certificate at Nowra TAFE in 1982.
After several years working in the building industry in the Shoalhaven Barry continued his career in London where he also attended university and gained a degree in adult education. Barry worked for seven years as a Carpentry and Joinery teacher at Hackney College in London.
Returning to live in North Nowra in 1997, with his young family, Barry attended Wollongong University and gained a masters degree in adult education. Barry has now developed a career in Occupational Health and Safety spending four years working as the National Safety Officer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Barry is currently employed as an OHS manager for the South East Sydney Illawarra Health Service.
Barry enjoys outdoor pursuits including sporting activities with his children.
Maintaining a balance between the Shoalhaven’s rich environment and the need to grow sustainably with well planned infrastructure is the core reason Barry is standing for council. He strongly believes it is possible to have well reasoned planning decisions that provide the community with the balance it needs.
Barry is particularly interested in traffic problems in North Nowra and supports the use of a road corridor already identified by the RTA for a Nowra bypass. In this way we can start to plan for and engage with our future needs instead of Council’s proposed link road through Bomaderry Creek bushland. This is short sighted and won’t actually fix the problem.
Barry wants to part of the planning decisions that take this community forward.
Geoffrey Parry-Ewing
Geoffrey Parry-Ewing is a member of the Shoalhaven Action Campaign. He was born and raised in the Shoalhaven and is 18 years of age.
Geoff completed his Higher School Certificate at Nowra High in 2007 whilst also completing a Certificate II in Agriculture. He is presently studying at the Shoalhaven campus of the University of Wollongong.
Geoff also works, part time, in the farming industry. In previous years he has worked in his family’s former business: Ewing Electrical. He has strong personal insights into the needs of young people in the Shoalhaven. He believes that better planning and provision of recreational and social facilities for young people is a more positive crime prevention measure than installing CCTV cameras to film crime and anti-social behaviour.
Geoff says, “As part of the Shoalhaven Action Campaign I support accountability, honesty and integrity within council. I feel it important that the youth of Shoalhaven be represented. I support the development of the Shoalhaven in ways that are environmentally responsible and contribute to employment so that the youth of Shoalhaven can have education and employment in their local area.
Improving transport is an important issue for Council and I feel that it is important that a decision be made about the traffic problems in North Nowra. The Council’s support for a road through bushland that doesn’t solve the problem is short sighted. I am sure that with true and meaningful community consultation we can give the Shoalhaven a better and brighter future.”