Ethan Hrnjak, The Greens candidate for Narrabeen, hopes to be allowed to run for local elections
An HSC student is hoping to have a decision banning him from running in the local elections overturned, saying he is a voice for ‘a generation that has grown up with the climate crisis’.
Manly
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A 17-year-old HSC student – who was told he cannot run for the local elections even though he would have been 18 by election day – is hoping the decision will be overturned now that the polling date has been pushed back two months due to Covid.
Ethan Hrnjak, who is in Year 12, is still holding out hope to be the lead candidate for The Greens in Narrabeen Ward and said he wants to “give young people a seat on council, voicing the concerns of a generation that has grown up with the climate crisis”.
Mr Hrnjak, who attends Marist Catholic College North Shore, would be the youngest ever councillor in NSW if he was elected.
However, his foray into politics has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride so far, and that’s before the campaign has even started.
Last week when the election date was still set for September 4, NSW Electoral Commission rejected Mr Hrnjak’s registration on the grounds that he would not be 18 by July 26 when nominations were due to open and registrations for the electoral roll close.
His birthday is in early August and he would have been 18 by September 4.
This week the election date was pushed back to December 4 due to the latest Covid outbreak, offering Mr Hrnjak new hope.
The electoral rules state that nominations cannot close until 40 days before the election, so with the new polling date, it should mean he now qualifies.
The decision will be confirmed tomorrow night.
Northern Beaches Greens campaign co-ordinator Beata Edling said immediately after the electoral commission’s ruling last week that the party was “bitterly disappointed”.
“Ethan’s a brilliant young man,” Dr Edling said.
“He will be 18 on election day and even when pre-poll voting begins on August 23. In fact, he will legally be required to vote at the election and he will certainly be 18 by the time the council sits.
“He’s also been on the electoral roll for the last six months.
“When we have so few young voices on council it undermines the democratic representation of young people which is fundamentally important given the challenges we face such as changing climate and its severe consequences.”
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge pointed to the absurdity of the outcome of Mr Hrnjak’s candidate registration.
“Is it any wonder that young people feel excluded from politics when they’re forced to vote but prohibited from running for office?” Mr Shoebridge said.
“This makes no sense.
“I will ensure that in the review of this election we change the law so that anyone who’s 18 and has to vote is 100 per cent entitled to run.”
Mr Hrnjak said he was keen to get elected because young people are not represented at council.
He said the average age for councillors in NSW is 55.
“If the council is making decisions about our future, then younger people need to have a seat at the table,” he said.
He told the Manly Daily issues that concern him in Narrabeen are the Ingleside development, rising sea waters and the seawall at Collaroy.
“I’ve lived on the northern beaches for my entire life and know the issues we face.
“Whether it be climate change, high rates of anxiety and depression, lack of affordable housing, or degradation of our local environment, the council plays a pivotal role in alleviating these burdens on our young people – which is why we need to have our voices heard.
“Like many young people, I work casually to support my education.
“In my spare time, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty fighting for our community, something I’ve done for as long as I can remember.
“Whether it was attempting to lobby the council for a new community garden or protesting offshore gas projects which threaten our ocean and wildlife, I have always stood up for the incredible area we call home.”
Last week Mr Hrnjak was selected as a member of the Northern Beaches Council’s Youth Advisory Group.
Meanwhile, The Greens will field candidates in every ward of Northern Beaches Council at the election if the decision over whether Mr Hrnjak can run is approved.
The local party has preselected teams of three to contest each of the council’s five wards at the election.
Each team will prioritise issues of most concern to its ward but will more broadly concentrate on combating climate change on the northern beaches, protecting our beaches and tree canopy, planning for the community to prevent overdevelopment, improving waste disposal
and cleaning up the council.
Curl Curl Ward
Planning and environment lawyer Kristyn Glanville will stand as lead candidate in Curl Curl
ward.
Ms Glanville, a long time Northern Beaches resident who lives in Freshwater with her husband, has advised on infrastructure projects, development, renewable energy, pollution and waste throughout her career.
She is passionate about protecting and enhancing the local environment, ensuring development delivers good outcomes for the community, and working with the community to reduce waste and live more sustainably.
“With the Council preparing its new Local Environmental Plan, the community needs a councillor knowledgeable in planning law, who will listen to their concerns about inappropriate and poor-quality development, as well as ensure that local controls are fit for purpose,” Ms Glanville said in a statement.
“Redevelopment can deliver good outcomes for the community and environment, but only if council is proactive in prioritising community needs over developer interests.
“Covid-19 has forced many locals to reassess their spending, which has had a flow on impact on our local economy. Council has a role in shaping what the post-Covid economy of the Northern Beaches looks like, to support sustainable practices by local business, and facilitate greater repair and re-use.”
Frenchs Forest Ward
Standing as lead candidate in Frenchs Forest ward is Chris Burns, who has brought up his family and lived in Forestville for 24 years.
Mr Burns has worked as a librarian for the NSW government and has wide experience in council libraries – saying they illustrate the role of local government in community building, providing services that strengthen residents’ connections with one another.
He is committed to minimising development in Frenchs Forest, preserving its beautiful environment and ensuring adequate provision of amenities.
“Our area is undergoing major changes as the development pressures associated with the new Northern Beaches Hospital come to bear. While there is a need for more housing in the area the community must resist overdevelopment,” Mr Burns said.
“My promise is to be a voice for community focused development and not developer driven planning.
“Housing density is increasing in Frenchs Forest, without effective public transport links or active transport corridors to other parts of the Northern Beaches. This has led to vastly increased amounts of traffic which many local roads are struggling to handle. In council I will focus on developing creative solutions to fix this issue, to enhance the overall amenity of our suburbs.”
Manly Ward
Manly candidate Pamela Dawes is a medical photographer and videographer, and has worked in major teaching hospitals as well as TV stations.
Ms Dawes has raised her three kids in Manly over the last 20 years and contributed as a local scout leader, netball manager and coach. Being primary carer for her husband with Motor Neurone Disease and her elderly mother, she is aware of the needs of the aged, ill and disabled in terms of access and acceptance.
“I have been involved in campaigning for better environmental outcomes and protecting our incredible, endemic plants and animals all my adult life. As a passionate volunteer in bush regeneration, I have worked with Landcare and environmental groups extensively and have a good knowledge of local areas of concern,” Ms Dawes said.
“If elected, I will be an advocate for preserving our incredible sea-life through the implementation of gross pollutant traps and would push for good bushland outcomes for upcoming infrastructure projects such as the Wakehurst Parkway Flood Mitigation Project.
“I particularly want to work towards stopping bulky goods destruction and concentrate on setting up repair, re-use and borrowing centres to reduce waste and make family life more affordable.
“I also strongly believe that good, sustainable, environmentally sound, accessible and inclusive development is fundamental to us moving forward on the Northern Beaches.”
Pittwater Ward
Journalist Miranda Korzy, who has lived in Avalon for 15 years, will stand as lead candidate in Pittwater.
She sees her role as a communicator, investigating issues of concern to locals and voicing community concerns.
Ms Korzy, who is a member of the council’s Places for People Strategic Reference Group, has led or supported a variety of local community and environmental organisations, including P&Cs, Protect Pittwater, Save Mona Vale Hospital, the Clareville and Bilgola Plateau Residents Association and most recently helped set up Canopy Keepers – which aims to preserve the urban forest.
“The Covid lockdown over Christmas showed us that Pittwater really is a distinct community – and we face many challenges trying to save its character,” she said.
“With many other residents, I want to protect our villages from overdevelopment, along with our trees and other bushland. To save our beaches, it’s important the council does everything in its power to minimise plastic pollution, as well as plans for and tells residents about how it will deal with sea level rise as our climate heats up.
“I’m working with Protect Pittwater to demerge Pittwater Council but in the meantime, we need to clean up the one we have – ensuring it’s transparent and listens to residents with respectful meetings, where women are safe from bullying and abuse.”
She said she was keen to see a vaccination hub on the peninsula and was concerned about the Ingelside proposal, as well as overdvelopment in Pittwater in general.
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