Ryde Council: meet the candidates
Voters will go to the polls on Saturday to elect a new Ryde Council. Here’s a full list of candidates and their pitch for your vote.
Northern District Times
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VOTERS will go to the polls on Saturday, September 9 to elect a new Ryde Council.
five current councillors are contesting the 12 positions, with the remainder giving up or retiring from what was a bitterly-divided council.
The Northern District Times asked candidates to submit statements on why residents and ratepayers should vote for them. Their answers appear below.
A full list of candidates in each ward follows.
JOHN AUGUST
As someone who cycles all over Ryde, I have an appreciation for its wide range and many assets. I’m a member of the local historical society, which illustrates my awareness of and interest in Ryde. I am committed to binding council and community, being responsive and improving communication.
I’m not beholden to a party. It means I can cut through the stifling partisanship on the council, which has held us all back.
KIT CHAN INDEPENDENTS
As an independent outspent by the big parties and better resourced candidates, I’m the clear underdog in the race for West Ward. But that’s nothing new as I’ve been in small business all my life.
I’m offering real practical changes such as upgrading Eastwood library, hiring (lollipop) traffic supervisors to manage busy crossings, improving road safety, and building the carpark that the Eastwood town centre desperately needs.
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS
A brighter Ryde is a Ryde that celebrates its diverse and multicultural people, successful businesses, and thriving communities and families. It is also a Ryde that prepares and builds for the future, ensuring that there is adequate infrastructure and amenities to accommodate growth.
The Christian Democratic Party Central Ward team commits to serve the Ryde Community with integrity and action, keeping the needs of families and individuals uppermost.
We promote green space, sensible development and amenity to balance existing overdevelopment.
THE GREENS
Edwina Clifton (Central ward) is a mother and family law barrister who wants to see Ryde with lower child care costs, better protection for parks and heritage buildings, the halting of overdevelopment and no council assets being sold.
If elected, Edwina will make Ryde a solar town with rebates to individual rate payers and local businesses and council buildings powered by solar.
School safety is a priority, and she will focus on safe drop zones, pedestrian walkways and cycleways and will lobby the State Government for improved education and TAFE facilities.
In the East ward Christopher Gordon, a Gladesville resident for over 11 years, is concerned at intrusive, ugly developments.
He says “no” to rampant overdevelopment and “yes” to community planning.
Affordable housing can be partially restored with an empty homes levy.
He is passionate about making Ryde an arts city.
BEC HO INDEPENDENTS
Independent Ryde is a group of locals living in the East Ward, who are tired of party politics.
Independent Ryde are experienced public servants and professionals with passion for communities, conversation and project delivery. There are no branches or party lines for us to worry about - we are here to help make Ryde an even greater place to live.
LABOR
A Labor-led Ryde Council will protect Eastwood Oval from Victor Dominello’s bulldozers; provide evidence-based solutions to Eastwood’s traffic and parking problems; revitalise West Ryde Plaza; protect public land in Meadowbank and West Ryde from sale to developers; stop the waste and excesses of the Liberals; get the basics right; and consult, listen and represent your interests.
In Central ward Bernard Purcell is running to serve Ryde residents.
He has previously served on local school P & C committees, sporting club committees and council-run project committees – like Ryde’s recently announced skate park at Meadowbank.
In East ward Penny Pedersen will fight to keep public land for community use, advocate for increased vital infrastructure; an increase in the percentage of affordable dwellings in future developments and more upgraded green recreation spaces.
LIBERAL
With a rapidly growing community and an infrastructure backlog, Trenton Brown and Amy Lee will prioritise the parking, traffic and pedestrian needs of Eastwood, West Ryde and Marsfield.
Working collaboratively with Ryde state Liberal MP Victor Dominello to deliver the Eastwood car park is a critical pillar of the Liberal plan.
Sarkis Yedelian and Chris Moujalli are locals who plan to consult and engage with the Central Ward community about their future.
Making the community safer is part and parcel of the Liberal plan.
Jordan Lane and Brigid Meney are offering East Ward a clear vision to help small business reduce red tape and cut waste as well as strengthening transparency by providing ratepayers with an itemised rate receipt.
The Liberal team will make sure ratepayers are receiving the best value for money.
ROY MAGGIO INDEPENDENTS
Roy Maggio is an independent candidate with no political agenda, only community focused to achieve more for everyone in Ryde. Born and raised and still living in Ryde, he has a “wonderful team” including Lina Candy, Janine Ligato and Amos Anastasiadis. We are a community focused — experienced — committed and results driven team.
As a team, they will work together to achieve more for the community.
JANE STOTT INDEPENDENTS
The sole independent team in Central Ward boasts two of the most senior and experienced councillors in Ryde. Mayor Bill Pickering and Deputy Mayor Jane Stott, who have joined forces to maintain Ryde’s best-ever financial position and keep their successful key-worker affordable housing innovation on track. They also want to deliver their solution for the abandoned Civic Centre and stop the millions of dollars wasted in office-leasing costs in North Ryde.
SIMON ZHOU INDEPENDENTS
As a truly independent team, Simon Zhou Independents stand for balanced development, more parking without sacrificing sports oval, and easier processes contacting council.
We are against party politics in our local government.
As people living in West Ward have seen, we are a hard working team in this election, who visited every street in west ward, listened to as many residents as possible, and we seek to work harder for the community after election.
CITY OF RYDE CANDIDATES
Central ward
Independents (group A): Jane Stott, Bill Pickering, Peter Szewczyk, Narain Mudaliar
The Greens: Edwina Clifton, Rochelle Flood, Helen Johnstone, Rosemary Milburn
Christian Democratic Party: Julie Worsley, Paul Treacy, Mary McMillan, Gail Herring
Liberal: SarkisYedelian, Chris Moujalli, Toni Courtellis, Kedarnath (Kevin) Pagaddinnimath
Labor: Bernard Purcell, Margaret Mayge, Geoffrey Lee, Geoff Pullen
East ward
Labor: Penny Pedersen, Libby Lawson, Grant McKee, Chris Rutter
Liberal: Jordan Lane, Brigid Meney, Hassib Elias, Shweta Deshpande
The Greens: Christopher Gordon, Jill Hartley, John Clifton, Ted Nettle
Independent: Roy Maggio, Lina Candy, Amos Anastasiadis, Janine Ligato, Bec Ho, Sean Kearns, Melanie Moss, Clare Walch
John August
West ward
Labor: Jerome Laxale, Peter Kim, Judy Nicholas, Jack Willis
Christian Democrats: Maureen Chan, Gui Dong (William) Cao, Guang Shu Jin, Ying (Debbie) Xu
Independent: Shuo (Simon) Zhuo, Badawe (Buddy) Abboud, Leigh Prosser, Miao YuXu, KitChan, Ting (Priscilla) Yu, JohnEllul, Peter Zarro
Liberal: Trenton Brown, Amy Lee, Janine Orban, Jerry Papikian
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