Port Stephens mayoral, council candidates for 2021 local government elections
There are two candidates vying to be Port Stephens Mayor along with 14 lead candidates at the upcoming local government elections. We look at who they are and what they stand for.
Newcastle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Newcastle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Port Stephens residents will head to the polls to elect 10 councillors including their next Mayor on December 4.
There are 14 lead candidates vying for the West, Central and East Wards, with three councillors to be elected to each ward.
The two mayoral candidates are Labor’s Leah Anderson and independent incumbent mayor Ryan Palmer. Both are also east ward candidates.
Other sitting councillors giving it another crack include Steve Tucker, Giacomo Arnott and Chris Doohan. There are also candidates that have served on council before along with others having their first shot.
Here’s a run down of who is running and what they stand for.
Mayoral candidates
Leah Anderson – Labor – East Ward
Mrs Anderson says she and her family are blessed to live in beautiful Port Stephens and she is working hard to become the next mayor.
“I have 33 years experience in the finance industry, I own my own finance business, and I employ local people,” she said.
“I have been working hard for our community for the past 16 years. Port Stephens deserves a mayor who will listen to their community, who cares for their community … a mayor that has vision for the future and will act for their community. I would be honoured, and proud, to be that person.”
Mrs Anderson has held many roles in the community including founder and president of Port Stephens Women In Business, Rotarian for 11 years, Business Port Stephens president for the past four years, Port Stephens Tourism director for the past two years and almost three years as a koala carer at Port Stephens Koala Hospital.
“In 2018 I was honoured to be awarded Port Stephens Women of the year,” she said. “In 2019 I was equally honoured to be nominated for a Port Stephens medal.”
Mrs Anderson said she and her team were focusing on three areas:
Infrastructure; looking at areas such as where council spends money, improving roads, increased use of modern technology for fixing potholes and more pathways.
Transparency and accountability; bringing back publication of DAs in local newspapers, allowing councillors to ask questions of public access speakers, reviews of councillors attendance and recording councillor votes.
Environment; protecting our koalas and other threatened species, exploring green bins and compost bins, improving council’s tree management policy and processes, increasing electric vehicles on the council’s fleet and actively pursuing ways to lower carbon emissions.
Ryan Palmer – Independent – East Ward
Incumbent Port Stephens mayor Ryan Palmer is keen to hit the ground running for a second term and wants to focus on creating thriving local communities and attracting investment.
“I am really proud of our independent team. We have a really positive approach to doing what is best for the Port Stephens community,” he said.
“We are ready to deliver for the people of Port Stephens and work collaboratively with all councillors, council staff, government agencies and the private sector to get projects done.”
“We investigated every opportunity to secure additional funding, including a rate variation, and we know that the Port Stephens community want us to do more with less. This is absolutely fine and we will find opportunities to keep delivering services while maintaining rates at rate cap only levels.”
He said advocating for more funding for major projects will again be on the agenda.
“Increased spending on infrastructure is a key part of government Covid recovery response and we will focus on getting Port Stephens it’s fair share for major projects like a dual carriageway for Nelson Bay Road from Fern Bay to Bobs Farm as well as local projects to rehabilitate and reseal roads across all three wards,” he said.
Mr Palmer and his team’s five point plan include:
– Connection – continuing to deliver unrivalled investment in roads and pathways, creating safe and accessible places for all ages and abilities.
– Active – investing in sporting facilities, parks, playgrounds and town centres, where we prioritise people.
– Community – delivering exciting new community events, a thriving night time economy and connecting our people.
– Environment – unparalleled support for our vulnerable koalas, native species and beautiful
waterways.
– Prosperity – delivering projects for future generations, partnering with business and delivering world class experiences.
Central Ward
Steve Tucker – Independent
Port Stephens councillor Steve Tucker was first elected to Council in 2004 and lives at Tanilba Bay. He has served as Deputy Mayor on two occasions in 2006 and 2014.
A retired engineer, he is most interested in building community and sporting infrastructure to support local communities.
Chris Doohan – Independent
Post Stephens councillor Chris Doohan has lived in Medowie for 20 years and been a regular visitor to the Port Stephens region for more than 45 years.
He was elected as a Central Ward councillor in 2012 and was deputy mayor in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Mr Doohan, a father of two, ran his own fishing charter business in Nelson Bay for over five years and is currently a business improvements manager in the aerospace industry.
He spent 11 years serving Australia in the Royal Australian Air Force and also seven years working as a pneudraulic specialist in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mr Doohan teamed up with Ben Niland for the famous Medowie Bale out the Drought fundraiser which raised more than $80,000 in four weeks for struggling farmers.
He is keen to improve infrastructure and help provide employment opportunities while also being sensitive to the environment.
He is passionate about getting footpaths built and roads repaired, and vows to continue that passion in the next term of council.
Caitlin Spiller – The Greens
Caitlin Spiller is a local business owner as well as an active member of the community, including a long time wildlife carer and Rural Fire Service member.
The Lemon Tree Passage resident’s career has been mainly in social services and advocacy work as well as the environmental sector at Planet Ark and other environmental consultancies.
“I’m standing because I’m passionate about social justice and the environment and I have always felt compelled to be part of the change I want to see,” she said.
“We are facing a crucial time, socially – with increasing inequities and in coming back from Covid, and environmentally – with climate change and growth pressures. In short, I’m standing for more consultation, community safety and greater balance between community, growth and the environment.
Ms Spiller’s campaign policies and priorities include:
– Increasing environmental protections for threatened species, including an updated Koala Plan of Management, protecting corridors, eliminating clear felling for developments and reinstating the Tree Management Policy
– Establishing a homelessness and affordable housing plan,
– Increasing funding for roads and pathways, seeking out innovative materials and processes and prioritising pathways around schools,
– Initiating an appropriate street tree planting program
– Improving transparency of council processes and spending, along with broadening consultation
– Ensuring local climate change actions and mitigation measures are implemented.
Jason Wells – Labor
Jason Wells is running to “Fix our local roads – Genuinely consult the community – Protect our environment”.
Mr Wells is in the Labor team along with mayoral and East Ward candidate Leah Anderson and West Ward candidate Giacomo Arnott.
The team are locals to Port Stephens active in community groups, school P & Cs and small businesses.
“We will fix Port Stephens and we need your support at this Election,” their campaign material states.
“Our team will fix potholes faster and better, and also invest properly in our local roads to reduce the number of potholes that form. Fixing substandard roads will be a priority.
“We will make sure that you have a say on decisions that affect you and your family. This council’s attempted $690 rate rise is an example of where consultation would have stopped a terrible idea from going ahead.
“We will introduce a green bin to households that request it, and investigate compost bins for kitchens. Our natural environment is Port Stephens’ most treasured asset and we will protect it.”
Bill Doran – Independent
Mr Doran is continuing his campaign roll after running for the state seat of Port Stephens in 2019.
The Tanilba Bay resident is standing for the Central Ward and wants to rebuild community trust and confidence in the council. He also talks about common sense decision making processes and transparency in the council.
Mr Doran is focusing on the following areas.
– Community engagement
– Developing alternative revenue streams
– Environment including the protection of koalas and banning cats from freely roaming
– Community growth with more autonomy for land owners.
West Ward
Peter Kafer – Independent
Peter Kafer is a former Port Stephens councillor as well as a local artist. He is a Dharawahl man who moved from Stockton to Raymond Terrace in 2001.
“I was an elected councillor on Port Stephens Council from 2008 until 2017,” he said.
“I am proud to have a team standing with me including well known local solicitor Lea Smith and her daughter Reyna Smith.”
Mr Kafer, a former police officer, said their policies revolved around “roads, rates, rubbish”.
“Therefore investing in infrastructure renewal, we are against any large rate increases in the future and reviewing waste resource recovery,” he said.
“Given our collective backgrounds we wish to see a focus on public safety, mental health issues affecting our population and assisting people with disabilities and who find themselves homeless.
“We also wish to see more care given to the precious and unique Port Stephens environment for future generations.”
Giacomo Arnott – Labor
Giacomo Arnott has been a West Ward councillor since September 2017 when he was the youngest person elected to the council at the age of 23.
Mr Arnott has been a firefighter with Fire & Rescue NSW for around five years and is the Deputy Captain at the Raymond Terrace unit.
He also has degrees in Business and Law, working as an industrial lawyer for a public sector Union for nearly two years.
Mr Arnott said he has focused on policies and positions that benefit the residents of Port Stephens. He led a successful campaign against the Council’s $690 rate rise proposal in 2019, which he says would have been devastating for family budgets on its own.
He said he is also proud of rate reductions for residents living in the Williamtown PFAS Contamination red zone, working to improve transparency, holding council to account, giving the public a glimpse into the workings of council and always voting in the interests of the people, not corporate or developer interests.
Mr Arnott grew up in Raymond Terrace, attended local schools and volunteers in the community.
He said his team’s vision is simple – “they will listen, they will care about what residents are saying, and they will take action.”
This includes fixing potholes with increased funding, giving residents green bins, improving public consultation, restoring transparency measures and always acting in the interests of locals.
Monique Malone – Independent
Mrs Malone has advised NewsLocal that she will no longer be pursuing her candidacy due to personal issues which occurred after her nomination.
Danielle Le Mottee – Independent
Ms Le Motte is the teenage daughter of current Port Stephens deputy mayor Paul Le Mottee.
NewsLocal was unable to contact Ms Le Mottee.
Christopher Baguley – Independent
Chris Baguley is running for council for the first time and says he is keen to give back to the community.
Mr Baguley settled in Port Stephens with his husband and children nine years ago and has become involved with Raymond Terrace Roosters JRLFC, Irrawang Public School P & C and the Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services.
“My priorities are strictly community focused, and want to get increased expenditure down this end of the LGA, where we have a road maintenance backlog, a lack of community events, problems with youth engagement and a severe lack of community consultation on things that matter to them,” he said.
“I am a true independent, with no party membership or affiliation, and am running my campaign completely online to reduce my carbon footprint. That being said, to me, as long as the nine councillors and Mayor who are elected to represent the community all have the communities interests at heart, it shouldn’t matter what party they belong to, as long as the games can be kept to a minimum.
“I’m very approachable, a bit of fun, and look forward to hearing from our residents and representing them come December 4.”
Andrew Cole – Independent
Andrew Cole says “Vote the same – get the same. It’s not good enough anymore.”
His policies indicate that he wants to give more power to the community when it comes to voting on policies and procedures and bring back “measured fiscal management” to council with a commonsense approach to spending.
Other policies include:
– To provide “absolute property rights for people with as little as possible overreach by authorities”.
– Allow people to “speak freely for at least half an hour from the floor allowing for robust debate at the end of every council meeting without fear of litigation”.
– Put in place a Welcome to Port Stephens pack for all new residents and small business owners”.
– Work with surrounding councils on a masterplan development/connectivity into the future.
– Allow all tendering processes to be accessible for transparency/accountability.
East Ward
Matthew Bailey – Liberal
Liberal candidate Matthew Bailey has been actively involved in politics and is married to current Port Stephens councillor Jaimie Abbott who is a candidate in the East Ward Liberal Group.
Mr Bailey, of Corlette, is a qualified financial planner and father of two sons who is keen to see improved playgrounds and sporting facilities as well as further infrastructure growth, protection of waterways and the environment.
Leah Anderson – Labor, as above
Ryan Palmer – Independent, as above.
‘F**ken muppet’: Convicted drug dealer’s DV terror
A convicted drug dealer has admitted to violently beating his partner, abusing her relentlessly and repeatedly breaching an AVO by calling her mother while in jail.
Inquest call 50 years after mystery disappearance of Sydney woman
A tormented family is calling for an inquest into the mystery disappearance of a young Sydney woman 50 years ago — they believe she may have been murdered.