Three Coast women to run as Independents

habitat (when) koalas are facing extinction?

“Labor, Liberal and the Greens are all (silent) on the issue of saving the 15 hectares of Kariong sacred lands on Woy Woy Rd – people used to be able to vote for the Greens if they wanted to protect the environment, but that does not seem to be the case anymore.”

McIntosh said the Coast needed urgent action on affordable rental accommodation and support for alternative education schools on the Central Coast.

“Traditional schooling does not work for a surprising number of kids who are made to feel like failures if they cannot cope with their local schools.

“There (is also) an urgent need to reform the NSW Education and Standards Authority – this is the group most responsible for the huge increase in unnecessary paperwork for teachers with the result of teachers wanting to leave the profession.

McIntosh also argued for the creation of an artists’ hub for aspiring local artists.

“Offering free spaces for concerts and exhibitions and performances for local artists only (would create) a Mecca for other artists adding jobs and hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local economy.

“Why not let the beautiful Coast rival the inner city of Sydney for artistic expression?”

A long-time local of the Central Coast, Lisa Bellamy will contest the seat of Gosford with protecting the natural environment and building strong communities as core policies.

“When it comes to the natural health of our Coast and the mental health of our communities more needs to be done.”

Bellamy has written to all the major parties, including The

Greens, to ask them what they intend to do to save vital habitat and cultural sites like the Kariong sacred lands, with no reply.

“It is clear to me now, that if voters are interested in protecting the environment, they need to stay away from the major parties,” she said.

Bellamy has lived on the Coast for more than 40 years and is active in acting to protect greenspaces and native bushland, including volunteering as a WIRES wildlife rescuer.

“I don’t want to tell my grandkids I stood by and did nothing while the Central Coast was being bulldozed,” she said.

Aunty Colleen Fuller is an Indigenous woman of the Darkinoong and Yuin tribes and will be running as an Independent for the Upper House (Legislative Council).

Sydney born and raised in a working-class family, she has lived on the Central Coast for 15 years.

She has a long history of fighting for social and justice issues for Indigenous Australians including protesting in the Pilliga against coal seam gas, protecting sacred women’s sites in Calga from sand mining by Rockla and camping for 89 days on the roadside to save a large section of Kariong Sacred Lands.

She has also fought to protect and save the white belly sea eagle’s habitat at Wadalba.

She is especially concerned about the proposed housing development on Woy Woy Rd at Kariong.

“This land is for all Australians to enjoy, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous,” she said.

“Our local politicians should hang their heads in shame for ignoring this issue.”

Fuller also wants to see implementation of the Bringing Them Home report from 1997 and immediate action to fix the rental crisis, especially on the Central Coast.

“There is over a 20-year wait for government housing and over 100 people applying for each available private rental property,” she said.

Aunty Collen Fuller is standing with the endorsement of the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA), which was unable to obtain registration in time for the State election.

The Greens have announced Heather Foord as their candidate for the Swansea electorate in the NSW election on March 25.

A Lake Macquarie local, Foord describes herself as being passionate about people and social justice and said she decided to run for The Greens after seeing so many people in the community being let down.

“Whether it be in the struggle to find work, access mental health services, or receive adequate living allowances and pensions, people need better support from the NSW Government,” she said.

With two children under the age of five, Foord is focussed on campaigning to fight the climate crisis.

“I want to ensure Swansea’s beautiful beaches, bays and