Council a true reflection of our city’s democracy

Cr Brooke Patterson, Division 6

IN response to Richard Faure-Field’s letter to the editor, 10/2, I hear you and share many of your views. At its core, council must always focus on delivering on roads, rates and rubbish. Once that is taken care of though, the community expects that we will be driving outcomes in key policy areas such as strategic planning and economic development. Good policy in these areas shapes our city – it drives investment, confidence and ultimately jobs. The fact we are the largest independent government in Australia is something to be celebrated. There are 15 individual voices who bring their personal experience and local community insight to the table every committee meeting. Debate and inquiry are always robust. It can be easy to be cynical, but our council truly is a living, breathing example of what it is to be a healthy democratic institution. I am pleased to say I have not experienced any occasion where a councillor or the mayor has tried to “do the numbers’’ before a council decision. We all go in with an open and persuadable mind, debate the issues, lick our wounds and move on to the next issue. The community should expect no less. Richard, with regard to your query on prioritising upgrades such as Cotlew Street from Ashmore Plaza to Benowa Road and the east end of Benowa Road, you can know I have been unwavering in my stand for these and I am confident the proposed budget will reflect this. Regarding your query on what the mayor is doing for Southport, the mayor could not be more encouraging of my vision for the CBD. I am clear, a transformation of the CBD is coming but it takes time and investment from government at all levels, the private sector, and banks. I stand firm championing that, committed to deliver. No doubt, many will look back on this time of the CBD and ask themselves “why didn’t we invest into it when we could?”. Finally, thank you Richard. Our city’s democracy is all the healthier when citizens such as yourself take the time to contribute.