Greens Candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker will work to establish a Disability Inclusion Advisory reference group on Wollongong City Council if elected in the September elections.

Greens candidate for Lord Mayor and Ward 1 Jess Whittaker is calling for a dedicated position in Council to encourage community gardens, crop swaps and urban farms to boost Wollongong’s resilience and development of local food systems.

Wollongong dumped more than 80,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste into our Whytes Gully tip in the 2022-2023 financial year. That’s the equivalent of 445 blue whales going to landfill.

Greens candidate for Lord Mayor and Ward 1 Jess Whittaker welcomed the unique opportunity to elect progressive leaders who are committed to their community, action on the climate crisis and tackling the cost of housing.

Greens Councillor Cath Blakey has called for investment in koala crossing points after footage shows a koala being struck by two vehicles on Appin Road.

Greens Candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker will work to embrace more ambitious urban greening initiatives in our villages across Wollongong.

Greens Candidate for Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker is calling on the State Labor Government to keep shark nets out of the water this summer.

Greens candidate for Ward 3 Deidre Stuart is calling on Council to amend the Development Control Plan to ban all gas connections to new residential and commercial buildings. 

Greens Candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker is calling for a fairer deal on affordable housing from developers who capitalise from increased development throughout Wollongong.

In 2021 Wollongong became the only Australian city with a  prestigious UCI Bike City label. While this title recognises a commitment to funding cycling at all levels, the issue of cycle parking or “end of trip facilities” has been sadly overlooked.

Greens candidate for Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker will push for drinking fountains at all Council parks, beaches and reserves, reducing the need for single use plastic water bottles.

Greens candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker and candidate for Lord Mayor and Ward 1 Jess Whittaker joined local residents in Figtree to celebrate a new priority pedestrian crossing at Uralba street Figtree.

Greens Candidate for Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker is ramping up calls for the State Government to remove shark nets from all Wollongong beaches before the 2024-2025 swimming season.

Greens MP and night-time economy spokesperson Cate Faehrmann joined Wollongong Lord Mayor candidate Jess Whittaker on Wednesday to launch the Greens plan for a Night-Time Mayor in Wollongong.

Greens candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker is calling on Wollongong City Council to provide greater support to services on the frontline of the worsening housing and cost of living crises.

Greens candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker is calling on Wollongong City Council and the NSW State government to expand the Free Gong Shuttle, taking in the suburbs of Figtree and Unanderra.

Wollongong City Council Greens candidate for Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker is calling for a new tax on profits from fossil fuel companies to help local governments recover from increasing natural disasters.

In a major blow for walkers and cyclists, Transport for NSW has quietly removed the pedestrian overpass from the Mount Ousley Road Interchange in their March 2024 project update. 

Wollongong Greens candidate for Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker is calling for shark nets to be removed from Wollongong City Beaches following the fatal entanglement of a bottlenose dolphin at Thirroul last week.

Greens lead candidate for Ward 2 Kit Docker is calling on Wollongong City Council to address the significant accessibility issues faced by residents across Figtree.

Launching their campaign for the Wollongong City Council elections in September, local residents Jess Whittaker, Kit Docker & Deidre Stuart were joined with Sue Higginson MLC [second from right] and called for stronger action to alleviate the many challenges faced in the community including the worsening housing and climate crises. 

Wollongong Greens Councillors Mithra Cox and Cath Blakey will be standing down at the September 2024 council election. The Illawarra Greens will announce their candidates for the election this coming Thursday 15 February, 10am at Market Square Wollongong.

Media Release
31 July 2023

South Coast call for secure bike sheds at train stations after resident has 7 bikes stolen

Fairy Meadow resident Phil Balding has expressed despair and frustration after having 7 around the illawarra, with 3 incidents of stolen parts.

Mr Balding said

“Riding my bike used to be a quick way to get to the train station for the commute to Sydney, but after having 7 bikes stolen, I’ve given up riding. I've tried using 2 d-locks, handlebar brake locks, Disc-brake locks, anti-theft skewers and an AirTag tracker, but still my bike would be stripped of parts or be stolen. By registering my bike on the Property Vault, and using the AirTag tracker the police were able to get a warrant to seize my bike, and I got it back. I want a Transport for NSW bike shed at the station to keep my bike safer from theft.”

“The car parking spaces at North Wollongong train station including street is full by 7:15am some mornings for the Sydney commute. Surely if there was somewhere more secure to lock up bikes there would be commuters that would ride instead of driving”.

Cr Blakey, who has a notice of motion on bike parking security for Monday night’s council meeting said:
“Council transport staff are currently developing an integrated cycling strategy, and it’s important that it includes advocacy for bike sheds at train stations so that residents can ride to the train station, and be confident that there bike will be there after a day at work for their return trip home.”

“Riding to the station is quicker and easy to go further than walking, and less space-intensive than car-parking. As e-bikes have grown in popularity, increasing the ease of riding for residents with escarpment foothills to navigate, the attractiveness to theft has also increased. We desperately need more secure ways to park bikes at the train station.”

“Since 2016 there have been 36 bike sheds installed across the City Rail network, but none in the Illawarra. I’m calling on the state government to make the Wollongong local government area the next location for a bike shed.”

“Bike theft is a rife in Wollongong, and a serious barrier to riding to the station, the shops, work or school – or anything other than recreation. PropertyVault is a partnership between Crime Stoppers, the Police, bike owners and the wider community – to expose and defeat the illicit trade in stolen bikes. If someone sees a bike for sale, they can check if it’s been stolen, removing pathways to profit from stolen bikes.”

END MEDIA RELEASE

25 April 2023

Media release: Defence Strategic Review's Calls for East Coast Nuclear Powered Submarine Facility Puts Illawarra at Risk

Today’s Defence Strategic Review confirms highly contentious plans to put a nuclear submarine base on Australia’s east coast without formally identifying the site. This is a decision that the Albanese government has agreed to “in-principle” leaving the Illawarra at serious risk of being targeted for the nuclear facility.