Greens celebrate twenty years in local government

Running on the Greens principles of ecological sustainability, social and economic justice, grassroots democracy, disarmament and non-violence, The Greens achieved their first electoral success in NSW at the local government elections held on Saturday the 14th of September 1991 in both Marrickville and Newcastle.

Bruce Welch was elected to Marrickville Council and John Sutton elected to Newcastle Council, beginning an unbroken representation on both councils that continues to this day. (media release)

In Newcastle Greens councillors have been succesful in setting up precinct committees to enhance community participation in local government (repealed by the current council), were the first council to set up an environment plan in response the the Rio Earth Summit Agenda 21, and lead the country with a city waste management strategy that sought to reduce waste to landfill.

At the initiative of Greens councillors Newcastle hit world headlines when McDonalds was required to use non-disposable cutlery for its sit down customers, and again when Greens councillors used an amendment by NSW Parliamentary Greens member Ian Cohen to the Local Government Act to ban the use of rain forest timbers in their local government area.

Greens councillors have always thought globally and acted locally.

In the inner-west Sydney area of Marrickville, Labor, the party that ran Marrickville Council for nearly fifty years until 2004, was renowned for branch stacking, violence and its close relationship with developers.The Greens campaigned on the importance of an open council, where residents had the right to speak on agenda items and to have
their voices heard on planning matters.

The Greens in Marrickville eventually prevailed, and as Greens influence exceeded that of Labor from 2004 more residents have been able to directly address council, residents who have lodged an objection to a development are advised in writing of when those matters are to be discussed by Council, and the processes of Council are generally more transparent as a result of The Greens leading issues of openness in local government.

In more recent years The Greens have begun the process of replacing worn out infrastructure against Labor Party opposition, and the new 50 metre pool at Enmore is the first fruit of a council that listens to the community.

Greens councillors successfully moved to give preference to contractors using workers on award wages during the “Your rights at work” campaign, and have reinstituted apprenticeships on council following their disappearance under Labor.

After the recent local government elections in the Illawarra, we have two new councillors, Jill Merrin and George Takacs, who will take their place tonight on the newly elected Wollongong City Council, and they join over seventy other councillors across NSW who work hard to keep our communities informed and engaged about their local community as they look to making sure our future in sustainable.

by Col Hesse, Greens NSW Local Government support worker.

Media Release by David on the issue | Speech on the issue given by Lee Rhiannon in the Senate

Tags: Greens NSW, History, Local Government, Marrickville, Newcastle