Wouldn’t it be great if you could travel to see your family in Sydney, Newcastle, Bermagui, or just go on a break to Melbourne, and all for 50 cents per passenger.

If you’re one of the many people who are worried about rising power bills, the constant cycle of destructive weather and the ensuing environmental destruction, it’s time we call it: we can't continue opening coal and gas mines as we head into further climate crises.

The Australian Greens’ Deputy Leader, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, will officially launch Jess Whittaker as the Greens candidate for the federal electorate of Cunningham, as the fight for economic justice takes centre stage in NSW’s South Coast. 

20 February 2025

Greens Cr Jess Whittaker has called on the NSW Health Minister to go further in his positive steps to reduce harm for young people at festivals after the announcement of a NSW first pill testing trial at Yours and Owls Festival.

13 January 2025

The NSW Government has released an initial consultation report into the proposed Bulli bypass. While support for the project among respondents was strong, Greens Councillor Jess Whittaker said it also demonstrates there are other options to ease traffic congestion in Bulli that have community support and should be looked at first.

20 December 2024

Support for removing shark nets along the NSW coastline is growing with Sutherland Shire Council voting to oppose nets in an annual State government survey.

Senator Shoebridge declared Port Kembla to be in the cross hairs for a naval base and a naval waste dump site thanks to the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2024 which passed parliament on October 10.

"We're here because a fortnight ago, the Commonwealth Parliament in an ugly deal between Labor and the Coalition passed legislation that enables either this defense minister or the next Defence Minister to declare Port Kembla a naval nuclear facility, a naval base and a naval waste dump simply by regulation without having to speak to the council, without having to speak to traditional owners without having to speak to the community," Sen Shoebridge said.

"... with the flick of a pen make Port Kembla, a nuclear submarine base and a future coalition government has now been given the power to turn Port Kembla into a nuclear submarine base."

Story by Janine Graham in the Illawarra Mercury, 23 October 2024.

"The Greens had a strong showing with one candidate making it onto each ward, and the positions were rounded out with two independent candidates."

Story by Zoe Cartwright in Region Illawarra, 2 October 2024.

Greens' Ms Whittaker contacted Cr Brown on Saturday night to congratulate her on the Lord Mayoral win.

Ms Whittaker said she knew it would be a battle for the Greens to win, but on the figures so far, the party's Lord Mayoral vote has jumped from the 13 per cent in 2021.

"We're stoked," she said of the party's efforts.

"It was a very different election, with everything that went on. But we're really happy with how the campaign went.

"We left it all out there. We did as much as we could do to put a progressive vision to the community and we've gotten a bigger vote for the Greens than we've ever done before."

"It's really exciting," she said.

"We've got a great team in the Illawarra Greens and we all help each other. So I'm not scared because anything that seems hard, we collaborate on and work together to get through it.

"So it's not like I feel like I'm doing it alone. I'm looking forward to meeting people and getting to know all the local issues in depth and getting our policy platform implemented.

"I'm so excited for Deidre and for Ward 3," Ms Whittaker said.

"We've been trying to get a councillor in Ward 3 for almost a decade. It's awesome that people in Ward 3 will have the Greens down there now to represent them.

"Kit's gotten a good vote. So we're hopeful that comes through in pre-poll as well.

"Kit will be an amazing councillor. He's a young renter, he's got heaps of lived experience of how it can be hard for people to live in Wollongong and he's going to bring that to the table for young people and for renters."

Story by Glen Humphries in the Illawarra Mercury, 15 September 2024.

Greens mayoral candidate and paramedic Jess Whittaker was also feeling positive and shared similar sentiments. "Whatever the people decide then that's what I'm happy with," Ms Whittaker said.

"We've had a really good campaign and when all that happened with the Liberals, we just kept doing what we were doing and putting our positive vision for the city out there."

Story by Joel Ehsman and Grace Crivellaro in the Illawarra Mercury, 14 September 2024.