I believe that it is really important to keep abreast of local issues. That is why I attended the bi-monthly meeting of Cooranbong Business and Community Alliance last night, 4th June. You can tell it is an election year with three currently elected Councillors in attendance along with three election hopefuls (that includes myself and my 2nd on the ticket, Graham Davidson). Discussions were around the important matters of turning lanes into the new sports facility as well as safe access to walk on Freemans Drive.

I have always been really disappointed that Council allowed the variation of the Cooranbong to Morisset shared pathway. They allowed the developer, Johnson Property Group, to have the route changed from following Freemans Drive all the way from Cooranbong shops to Morisset, to be diverted through the College land from Cooranbong Shops to Victory Parade via the swing bridge. That means that half of the length of the path has now been built on private land using our public money (developer contributions collected from the North Cooranbong Development) . The public can use the path freely, however, the new route excludes some 1700 households on Freemans Drive from accessing this safe route to and from their shops and major centre and to the primary school on Government Road.

Council has since approved a section of pathway to be built from Babers Road to the Cooranbong Park, however, this still leaves substantial areas of residents, including two retirement villages, from having direct access to a safe path to both Cooranbong and Morisset from their residences.

I intend to work with Council, if elected, to complete the missing section of the shared pathway. This should not have been allowed to happen in the first place and it just goes to show that Council, in this last term, are really not in touch with local needs.