Cycle city on track: Wollongong councillors vote to progress ambitious bike plan
Wollongong is one step closer to its goal of becoming a renowned cycling city, after councillors voted to fast-track $4million worth of infrastructure, including major commuter bike links, a pump track and criterium circuit. They also agreed to place the city's new draft cycling strategy on exhibition - with residents now being asked to have their say over a 10-year plan to install more bike lanes, cycle friendly streets and encourage almost double the number of regular riders.
The strategy and budget were both unanimously supported, with many councillors saying it was "the perfect time" for Wollongong to embrace cycling.
Greens Ward 1 Councillor, Mithra Cox, who criticised the council several months ago for not spending enough on cycling, said she was thrilled to support the strategy going out for public comment.
Read the article by Kate McIlwain in The Illawarra Mercury, 30 June 2020
Read more'Don't do it!': Protesters 'scare off' buyers for heritage fig tree land
The Lake Heights public housing property which is almost completely covered by the canopy of a heritage-listed fig tree has been passed in at auction, after no bidders came forward to buy it at the public sale on Satruday. Several dozen protestors turned up to witness the auction, bearing signs taking aim at the NSW Government for selling off the land.
The land is owned by the NSW Government's Land and Housing Corporation, and has been put up for sale twice in recent years after negotiations with Wollongong City Council to take the land for a park failed.The council said LAHC wanted a full commercial price for the lot.
Three councillors - the Greens' Cath Blakey and Mithra Cox and Labor's Ann Martin - attended the auction. All three said they thought the council should be able to buy the land and turn it into a public space.
Cr Cox said she would ideally like it to be passed to council in a "land swap" so that public money did not need to be paid twice to acquire the property.
Read the article by Kate McIlwain in The Illawarra Mercury, 27 June 2020
Read moreRenewed push to make Wollongong a cycling city after COVID bike boom
Across Australia, there have been reports of surging bicycle sales amid the lockdown, which has forced people to look at socially distant ways to exercise and commute. As the country faces more long-term challenges of incorporating social distancing into people's daily lives, there has been a renewed push to improve cycling facilities in all Australian cities.
In this climate, cycling infrastructure has been a source of tension at Wollongong council in recent weeks, with councillors having heated debates about decreased budget allocations due to COVID-19 financial restrictions.
Greens councillors Mithra Cox said she was "bitterly disappointed" by the lack of cycling investment in the 2021 budget, as she had hoped there would be a commitment to building some of the major links which have been in the pipeline for years.
"We had been promised that this infrastructure would be built, because part of the commitment to hosting the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in 2022 is that we need to become a cycle friendly city," she said.
"You don't become a cycle friendly city by putting targets in a report, you have to provide the infrastructure."
Read the article ny Kate McIlwain in The Illawarra Mercury, 29 May 2020
Read moreLive music to be included as part of the post-COVID-19 economic stimulus for Wollongong
Wollongong Greens Councillor Mithra Cox's proposal to have subsidised live music as a part of a plan to reactivate Wollongong City's central shopping districts post-COVID-19 has received a boost. At the its extraordinary meeting on 11 May, discussing the draft budget, Cr Cox successfully moved an amendment to ensure that subsidies for live music are included as part of council's stimulus package.
Councillors voted that the 'City Centre Reactivation Fund' be used, post-COVID, to include a budget to stimulate the 5pm to midnight economy. Wollongong council would also explore opportunities to subsidise arts and cultural events in the CBD, especially live music provided by local musicians.
Read the article by Brendan Crabb, Illawarra Mercury 13 May 2020
Read moreGreens call for 10 weeks of free live music to help Wollongong's post-COVID recovery
The Wollongong Greens have proposed "ten weeks of live music" as part of the city's economic stimulus plan after coronavirus pandemic restrictions are eventually lifted. Greens councillor Mithra Cox has proposed that Wollongong City Council would subsidise local bars and cafes to pay musicians to perform over a 10-week period, to encourage people to come back into the central shopping districts.
Cr Cox said venues would be required to book musicians at or above Live Performance Award wages. The venues would then receive the subsidy from council after showing proof of payment.
Read the article by Brendan Crabb in The Illawarra Mercury, 7 May 2020
Read moreGreen light given to Austinmer Bathers Pavilion's accessible upgrade
A controversial million-dollar refurbishment of the Austinmer Bathers Pavilion which includes an accessible toilet and change room, has been approved by Wollongong City councillors. At Monday night's council meeting, councillors unanimously voted to accept a tender to repair and update a ninety-two year old building that has deteriorated and is not accessible to all. Greens Councillor Mithra Cox acknowledged how much the historic building meant to residents, but felt a door in the middle of the building was a compromise and had minimal aesthetic impact.
She quoted a wheelchair user who wrote to her saying, "the disabled community has just as much right as any other local resident to access this beach and we need appropriate facilities to make that possible".
"People can still sit and play music, use the benches, congregate and our friends in wheelchairs will be able to join us as well," said Cr Cox.
Read the article by Ashleigh Tullis in The Illawarra Mercury, 27 April 2020.
Read more'We welcome the Ruby Princess to Wollongong': councillors support docking at Port Kembla
Wollongong councillors of all parties have called for political leaders and the community to have compassion for the Ruby Princess cruise ship crew, saying the city should "return the favour" after profiting from the cruise industry. In a departure from the message from her state Labor counterparts, Deputy Mayor Tania Brown, led the call. saying "I welcome the Ruby Princess to Wollongong".
Greens councillor Mithra Cox called on residents to "be calm and be kind".
"I know there is a lot of angst in our community, but they are humans on that ship and they deserve medical care," she said.
Read the article by Kate McIlwain in The Illawarra Mercury, 7 April 2020
Read more'We're not accepting visitors': Sydneysiders warned to stay off Illawarra beaches
Sydneysiders who can't use closed metropolitan beaches are continuing to travel to the northern coastline of the Illawarra, despite repeated warnings to avoid all non-essential travel. Wollongong councillors highlighted this issue on Monday night, during their first online meeting, and passed a motion to make it clear that the city's beaches must not be used by outsiders.
Greens councillor Mithra Cox said social distancing was important at beaches, but said she wanted to issue "a plea for the community not to become a vigilante mob" and to treat fellow humans with kindness.
"I have seen some ugly comments in our community about outsiders using beaches and whatever," she said. "My question is 'how do you know that someone is an outsider? It has been our multicultural communities that have copped the brunt of this more because there is a perception they are from Sydney, and that is not always the case."
Read the article by Kate McIlwain in The Illawarra Mercury, 7 April 2020
Read moreIllawarra performers losing gigs, income due to the coronavirus pandemic
Like many others in the performing arts, Veteran comedic performer Dave Evans and country musician Benn Gunn are facing a loss of income as events are cancelled because of COVID-19.
The Greens are backing calls by the arts and creative industry for an urgent $500 million rescue package to prevent collapse of the sector in the face of COVID-19.
Wollongong Greens councillor Mithra Cox, also a musician herself, said a lot of artists and performers had used up their savings to get through the summer after the bushfires led to many event cancellations.
This was compounded by upcoming events not going ahead, and less typically taking place in winter, meaning it was a "scary time" for those within the gig economy.
"One of the things the Greens have been calling for is a rent amnesty and no evictions during the crisis, because there will be people who just simply can't pay their rent," Cr Cox said.
"People should also buy music from independent artists... Because that's a way of ensuring that people like musicians are still having some income coming in."
Read the article by Brendan Crabb in The Illawarra Mercury, 17 March 2020.
Read moreCalls for Housing Fix
Greens MP Jenny Leong called for a "radical overhaul" to fix NSW's housing crisis.
"Family and Community Services Minister Gareth Ward, and the NSW Liberal Government have failed to grasp the basics - to stop someone being homeless you don't need to count them, you need to provide them with a home and wrap around services and support," Ms Leong said. "We need to make renting more secure by improving renters' rights, we need to build more public housing, and we need to take the profit motive out of housing."
Wollongong Greens councillor Mithra Cox said the Greens are committed to mandating that 30 per cent of all new apartments built should be for social and affordable housing.
Read the article by Brendan Crabb in Illawarra Mercury, 28 February 2020
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