Who's who in the Sutherland Shire Council 2021 election

Each candidate was asked to write about their background, why they are running and their priorities if elected.

The candidates are listed in ballot paper order:

Includes Cronulla, Kurnell, Lilli Pilli, Bundeena, Maianbar and adjoining areas

Craig Chantler (independent)

I am a very dedicated and passionate resident of Sutherland Shire, who feels strongly about giving back to my community. This is evident in my roles as a teacher at a local high school, a swimming coach at a local swim centre, a volunteer firefighter with a local RFS station and a scout leader with a local scout group. My active involvement in our community has given me a true understanding of residents needs and values. This will allow me to be a true voice for the people of our shire.

Like many residents, I am concerned about the direction that our local government has been heading over the past few years. I am standing in this election as I feel it is important that the needs of the community are put first.

I am advocating for projects to assist with relieving traffic congestion and enable more available parking, improved recreational and sporting facilities, including but not limited to, parks, BMX/mountain biking tracks and bush walking trails, as well as enabling and creating more resources, services and access aimed at promoting healthy aging.

Leanne Farmer (independent)

I have lived in A Ward all my life. I descend from a family of many community volunteers in the sporting and business sector. I have followed in the footsteps for the past 30 years.

I have owned small businesses in the shire for the past 32 years.

I am a Government In Home Childcare provider & NDIS provider supporting many frontline workers and regular families in the shire juggling their extensive workload and family commitments. This privilege gives me a very important insight into how the community is feeling about the changes within the shire.

I have a staff of 50 from the shire working within my business.

I have extensively fought the overdevelopment on the doorstep of Monro Park. The loss of environmental amenities to that park and surrounding residents plus the potential damage that is well documented to the mature fig tress, stone monuments in this heritage listed park is a major concern to many of the community. This fight is ongoing and no decision as yet has been made. I will continue this fight all the way to the highest courts if necessary.

I strongly believe the loss of the Women's Rest Centre and playground was a disgrace to our community and businesses of the mall. Both should have been replaced when taken for development as they were services very much needed and loved by the community and created foot traffic for all the businesses in the mall.

The overdevelopment created by the 2015 LEP unfortunately brought in by the majority of Liberal councillors has changed the essence of our communities throughout the shire and allowing 25 metres adjacent to Monro park on a site that has no infrastructure within or surrounding that site has shown how much damage a bad LEP can do. The lack of infrastructure to deal with the traffic and parking has made Ward A impossible to move. This needs to be addressed now.

In my business, I deal with many different sectors of government and community groups and I look forward to working through the council issues with the same commonsense and inclusion to ensure a better outcome for our shire moving forward.

We are blessed to have fantastic communities with Kurnell and Bundeena as unique important areas that need certainty in retaining their character while growing. I would like to see more unique character within A Ward something that has been lost of late.

Carol Provan (Liberal)

I have lived in A Ward for 55 years and raised 2 children and 3 grandchildren. I was first elected to Council in 1983 for 2 terms and returned in 2008 until present. I have been Mayor in 1988 and 2012.

I have served as Chairperson or Deputy Chair on all Council Committees. I was Chairperson of Port Hacking Advisory Committee for 6 years and I am an active Board member of our beautiful Hazelhurst Gallery. I am a Board member of Hungry Point Trust at Cronulla for the State Government. I am vice patron of all 4 Bate Bay Surf Clubs and also a Patron of a number of Charities and Sporting organisations. I am a past Board member of the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust looking after the operations of Woronora and Eastern Suburbs Cemeteries. I am a fashion Stylist for a major Hotel Group in the Asia Pacific and I am also a Celebrant.

I have been proud to be part of Sutherland Shire Council by keeping our budget in order and focusing on our core responsibilities. We are one of the few councils in NSW to never have had a black mark against us. A few of our focus areas recently were to upgrade or build new playgrounds for our children. You may have seen some of them such as at Bonna Point, Kurnell. We have also increased our spend on footpaths and roads and new toilets such as Cronulla Surf Club. North Cronulla, Shelley and Oak Park toilets will be upgraded during the next 2 years. We are also upgrading the Entertainment Centre and Sutherland Arts Theatre (approx. $40m) to make them both first class for our performing Arts people. Cronulla Mall will also be upgraded (approx. $35m). Community consultation has been completed and design is nearing completion.

My plans for the next term in A Ward are to complete the Cronulla mall upgrade, upgrade Gunnamatta Pavillion / Cafe, establish a Surf Museum and continue my work in helping residents.

Michael Forshaw (Labor)

It has been a privilege to represent A Ward on Sutherland Shire Council for the past 5 years.

I am a life-long resident of the shire. My wife Jan and I raised and educated our family here and like all residents really love this beautiful and unique area.

My entire working career has involved representing the interests of the public. I first worked for 18 years for one of Australia's largest employee organisations. I then served for 17 years from 1994 as a Senator for NSW in the Federal Parliament.

My office was located in the shire where I was able to assist many local residents and community groups deal with government bureaucracy and issues affecting their daily lives. I was also able to obtain increased funding for shopping centres upgrades, footpaths, sporting facilities, aged care services and business development.

In 2016 I decided to run for Council because I believed I had the experience and skills to address problems confronting the Shire at the time - in particular the increasing overdevelopment, traffic and parking congestion, the need to renew our public infrastructure and facilities and to promote business opportunity and more local jobs.

Since being elected as a councillor I have endeavoured to carry out these commitments. Some of these achievements are:

I have always been available and willing to represent residents when they have had specific issues and problems with Council.

There is still much to be done. If re-elected I want to continue to work on behalf of our community to maintain and improve this wonderful area in which we live. I want to ensure that we have the services, facilities and infrastructure we need. I want to protect our environment, heritage, bushland, beaches and waterways for all of us and future generations to enjoy

Martin Moore (The Greens)

Information awaited.

Includes Gymea, Yowie Bay, Grays Point, Miranda, Kirrawee and adjoining areas

Jack Boyd (Labor)

I'm a local through and through. Born and raised in the Shire, I attended St Aloysius Primary School in Cronulla, and St Patrick's College in Sutherland before completing a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (International Economics) at the University of Wollongong.

After being admitted as a solicitor, I worked in commercial law focussing on directors' and officers' liability, professional indemnity and cyber risk insurance before moving into a non-legal role as a Senior Cyber Security Advisor.

Growing up in the shire has given me a deep appreciation of how unique our community is. From our beautiful beaches and waterways to our commitment to active lifestyles and sense of pride in our community - the Shire is special.

I'm deeply passionate about our community and that's why I'm standing for Council - to protect our unique way of life and to fight to ensure the Shire is the best it can be.

Since being elected in 2016 I have taken a fresh approach - working collaboratively with other councillors and putting politics aside to ensure the best outcomes for our community.

But I won't shy away from a fight. Whether it's on council, or when the state or federal governments aren't delivering for us, I will always fight for you.

I believe council can, and should, be so much more than roads, rates and rubbish. We have an obligation to deliver high-quality infrastructure and services the community needs.

If re-elected, I promise that I will continue to fight for you by:

Louise Sullivan (Liberal)

Sutherland Shire has always been my home. Now 41, I grew up in Gymea Bay and now live at Caringbah with my young family.

I am standing for council as I want to be a strong voice for my local community to help deliver the real progress the Shire deserves on the issues our resident's care about.

A qualified lawyer, risk and governance professional, I am currently the Chief Operating Officer and Board Director of a leading construction materials business. As a working Mum of three active primary-school aged children and wife of a local small business owner I have close ties to the needs of Shire business, sport and families.

I have a genuine passion for giving back to my community and bring a diverse set of skills and experiences that I offer to help make our Shire a better place for all.

In a voluntary capacity, I am the President of Netball NSW, one of Australia's largest state sporting bodies. I have a deep understanding of the wider sports sector and facilities strategies for all sports to grow. I continue to coach and umpire junior teams in the Shire with my daughters all playing at local clubs amongst many other sports and activities.

As a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon (Reserve), I served actively for over 13 years. I now act as a Director of RSL NSW.

We're a community that cares deeply about the environment. We need to preserve the family-orientated area the Shire has always been with access to beautiful beaches, parks and natural reserves. We should invest in the best sport, arts, recreation facilities and open spaces to promote an active lifestyle, enhance our sense of community and retain our enviable lifestyle for all residents.

I support that politics should stay out of planning decisions to deliver the most beneficial outcomes. With a budget kept in order, council can focus on its core responsibilities to ensure major upgrades such as Seymour Shaw Park can be delivered, and essential services maintained.

I want to advocate for the right environment for businesses to grow, create jobs and opportunities for people to work closer to home.

Pam Brown (independent)

A refreshing new team for B Ward

I am standing as the lead candidate for my independent team: Pam Brown, Steve Smith (More than Meat butcher) and Katrina Mulcahy (career coach).

I am a proud shire resident of over 40 years, and I believe that local government is all about supporting and representing the local residents.

I am a committed and passionate community-minded resident, with significant volunteer involvement over many years to support my local community, through local schools, Red Shield Appeal, Cook Community Classic. As a current board member of the Rotary Club of Caringbah I can provide further support to our community.

In 2017 I was honoured to be awarded Sutherland Shire Citizen of the year in recognition of my commitment to the Shire community.

My 20-year career in the Not-for-Profit sector has included CEO of Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation, successfully leading a small local organisation to a national charity supporting thousands of children who have a parent with mental illness. And, currently as CEO of Stepping Out Program, I lead programs to support female survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

My extensive experience working in the charity sector and making a difference for vulnerable residents from youth through to seniors, has given me a respect and understanding of the importance of local and community spirit and support, and the vital role of volunteer involvement.

As your Independent candidate in B Ward, I intend to advocate for:

As your independent council representative in B Ward, I will work hard to ensure our community comes first, and you - our residents have access to the best facilities, services, and supports.

Includes Kareela, Oyster Bay, Sylvania, Taren Point and adjoining areas.

Jen Armstrong (Labor)

Why bother voting for me to represent you in C Ward?

A local who gets it: As a local mum and foster parent, I've seen first hand the pressures our local families are facing. I understands the importance of delivering quality and accessible services in our area. I will work to make the Shire an even better place to live, work and raise a family.

A local with a real voice: As the 2016 NSW Premier's Woman of the Year, I was recognised for my advocacy work for victims of domestic violence and now works as an Operations Manager for a leading Sutherland Shire not-for-profit organisation, promoting inclusion and equality for all.

I'm committed to ensuring our essential services and local community groups are properly funded and no one is forgotten. I will work tirelessly ensure our area gets its fair share.

I will:

Hassan Awada (Liberal)

I am 54 years of age, a father of 4 children and a grandfather of two. We currently live in Kareela.

Soon after migrating to Australia I discovered the shire and immediately fell in love with 'God's Country'. Shortly thereafter, I opened up my first barber shop in Cronulla in 1990. Following my stint as a barber, in 2003 my wife and I opened a childcare centre. We've remained in the child care industry ever since. I have been a small business owner for more than 30 years. I know first hand the important contribution made by local businesses to our community. I understand the struggles of families and the less fortunate.

I was elected to Sutherland Council in 2012 and served until 2016. I was elected as a deputy mayor in 2015.

I am proud of my achievements on council. I served as the Chairman for the finance committee for 2 years where I managed to bring the council's budget in the black, achieving surpluses in both years.

I also served as the chairman for the services and facilities committee presiding over the delivery of $60M infrastructure program. I was involved in driving the first council restructuring reform in more than 30 years. I initiated the upgrade of the Tom Uglys Bridge footpath and with my liberal team we delivered Shire wide suburb identification signage. I was the driving force behind council's tree replacement policy to name a few.

If elected I want to continue the very important job of delivering quality services to our community while protecting and enhancing the shire's unique environment. I want to advocate on behalf of our community on all issues of concern and support local sporting organisations. I want to support local businesses by reducing the burden of council's red tape.

It is important that council remains fiscally responsible, whilst delivering quality services and infrastructure.

I want to encourage council to better support affordable, accessible and diverse housing. This includes a review of the duplex planning policy.

Tony Robins (independent)

I lead the Shire Independents Group in Ward C.

I am a long-term resident of Sylvania and very passionate about Sutherland Shire.

During my career in banking and finance I had the opportunity to help many families and businesses with their financial needs. I have been deeply involved in several community volunteer roles for over 30 years and am currently the Treasurer of Sylvania Heights Community & Youth Club and have held positions on the executive team at the Sylvania Bowling Club.

My career background and volunteer roles have given me invaluable insights into how Council engages with our youth, sporting clubs and associations, the elderly and vulnerable as well as the business community. Making a difference to our community is at the heart of why I am standing for Council.

I am a true Independent. I do not belong to any political party - my commitment is to ensure that the community's voice and interests are at the center of all Council decisions.

As councillor my role will be to Listen to the community and act in their best interests. I have the experience and a successful track record of serving the community.

As your Ward C Councillor my immediate priorities will be to:

This council election represents an opportunity for change and an opportunity to bring new energy and introduce fresh faces.

Electing an experienced and community-focused Independent will reduce the domination of the major political parties.

This Saturday I am asking for your support to start this change. Your vote is an important step towards making the Shire an even better place to live, work and play.

Mark Preston (independent)

I am a long-term resident of Sutherland Shire - Sylvania. I have been listening to fellow residents across our community & the message is loud and clear. Most are sick and tired of the same rhetoric from Sutherland Shire Councillors. Meanwhile our rates have increased and I ask you "what are you getting for the dollar?".

I was born & raised in Newcastle, moved to Sutherland/St George 1990. Based on my mother's Aboriginal culture, I am proud Wonnarua Man.

After completing school joined NSW Fire Brigades (now Fire & Rescue NSW) serving 27 years as a firefighter. I have been a volunteer with the NSW State Emergency Service, have had my own domestic maintenance business in Sutherland & St George Region for over 18 years and been working in Aged Care for over 5 years as a Maintenance Manager

Having been in the emergency services, I have attended many natural disasters and emergencies in the Sutherland Shire & gained much respect not only for the people and their resilience but also how our communities come together in times of hardship.

As your local candidate, not representing any of the political parties, I would be honoured to represent you and your family at council and bring back common sense - back to basic policies for our community. This includes:

There is so much to do, I want to be that local independent voice to take on the fights in council for the local people and not be driven by the Major Parties Policies and self-interests. This is 'your home, your street, your community', and I want to be that voice and fighter sticking up for your interests and your kid's future.

Includes Engadine, Heathcote, Waterfall, Woronora Heights, Yarrawarrah and adjoining areas.

Dominque Passmore (independent)

I am leading a team of like-minded Independents - The Passmore Independents - who just happen to be family.

I am a candidate for D-Ward because I feel residents' needs are not always the focus. Vanity projects often take precedence over the mundane (but meaningful). Heathcote Hall was the catalyst - residents were not listened too, and I do not accept the argument that there was "nothing Council could do". Since being 'fired up', I've listened to community, and here are just some of their concerns I would like to address:

Traffic: Where road improvements are required because of a new development - let's make these changes before the development is commenced.

Pedestrian crossing for St Vincent's Care at Heathcote (JPV): Rather than fix this issue quickly, and save lives, injuries and traffic confusion, council has deferred until 2022/23 financial year. This should be a priority project for D Ward over the dog off-leash proposal.

Parking: Local businesses suffer when customers have nowhere to park. In Engadine alone, we have various areas with 'limited time parking' , Council vehicle only parking and very few accessible spaces for our Seniors. We need to make it easier for locals to shop locally, not harder.

I've also learnt a lot in the past week at Pre-Poll:

I won't promise the impossible, but I will fearlessly advocate for the possible.

Carmelo Pesce (Liberal)

Sutherland Shire is a great place to live, work and play. The Shire Liberals want to keep it that way.

As the Shire Liberals council team leader and as mayor for five years, the Shire Liberals' vision has always been to focus on further improving our open spaces, parks and playgrounds to create destinations that highlight our beautiful environment, parks and beaches.

Like many of us, I have lived, worked and raised my family in the shire, and our focus will be to ensure that we come together as a community and embrace our healthy lifestyle.

IF COVID has taught us anything, it is to value our parks, playgrounds, walkways and beaches even more.

Our focus will be on delivering new infrastructure, basic council services such as roads, footpaths and rubbish collection and on ensuring that our financial management is on a firm footing. This will ensure the shire remains the great place it is.

We will also continue to support local businesses who have suffered during COVID. It's time for us to support local, spend local and enjoy the diversity of Sutherland Shire and all its beautiful parklands, playgrounds and waterways.

We look for your support on December 4 so that we can continue to deliver for the shire and its residents.

Diedree Steinwall (Labor)

I am a long-standing Shire high school teacher and Justice of the Peace and I have lived with my family in Heathcote for over 35 years. My interest in community service is the natural extension of being involved in many local groups as a volunteer as my children grew up.

My fellow councillor, Greg McLean and his family are also long-term residents of Engadine.

I was first elected to council in 2012 and I have worked very hard for our community ever since. In 2016, Councillor Greg Mc Lean joined me on council, and we have worked together to support residents and respond to their concerns in D Ward. Greg has worked hard on numerous committees, including the Traffic Committee to find solutions and a present a local perspective.

I have delivered playground, footpath and pedestrian safety measures like the car park and footpath upgrade at Preston Park, and playground upgrades at Cassandra Crescent Heathcote and Brigelow Place, Engadine. I am particularly proud of the Cooper Street Reserve and Waratah Park Masterplans and the Sutherland Entertainment Centre and Sutherland School of Arts upgrades.

Councillor Mclean and I have supported residents against overdevelopment, including Heathcote Hall and fought to stop the winter closure of the Engadine Pool. Most recently, we stood by the residents of East Heathcote as they successfully fought and reversed the commuter car park decision for their small community.

I will continue to fight to protect our beautiful green spaces from overdevelopment, ensure our parks and playgrounds are well maintained, focus on delivering extra parking and pedestrian safety measures and explore innovative waste solutions to progress community recycling centres in the Shire.

I am keen to bring exciting changes to our libraries, advocate for more affordable housing and achieve a Climate Clean Council.

Above all I will keep residents informed.

Includes Menai area, Woronora, Bonnet Bay, Como.

Laura Cowell (independent)

I live in Alfords Point with my family. I am a mum to a 24-year-old girl and a 21-year-old boy, both attended Menai Primary School and Menai High.

I work full time for a NFP disability organisation, currently I am serving my second year as the first female vice president of Sutherland Shire Football Association and as an Office of Sports Member Protection Information Officer, both are volunteer positions.

With so many competing priorities across the Shire I believe we must have strong voices on council that are engaged, connected, and listening to our community so that they can advocate effectively for E Ward.

I believe that to be an effective councillor for E Ward, I firstly need to understand the views of the people I represent, If I am elected, I will be doing the following actions to keep in touch: attend local association meetings, provide my contact details and be responsive, attend events as invited, communicate via a regular E Ward newsletter, email & website, Monthly meet your E Ward Councillor at Cafe Y in Menai, Online 30-minute zoom meeting option.

Some of my experiences have been that:

Stephen Nikolovski (Liberal)

I am a lifelong resident of E Ward, in particular, Illawong, where I have lived for most of my 36 years, currently with my two children, both of whom attend day care and school locally. Like me, my daughter also plays local sport. I am a chartered accountant and financial planner by profession.

As a local, I want to contribute and support the western part of the Shire's planning going forward and environmental management.

I feel that to date, there is a missed opportunity in E Ward to not only have a family friendly environment, but one that also hopefully is business friendly, allowing residents to take advantage of the new work life balance fostered by COVID.

To do this, facilities not only need to be maintained but also planned well into the future. Town planning is a key interest of mine as well as meeting the challenge of a sustainable '30 minute city'.

I believe the position E Ward is in affords it a great opportunity in this regard and I am keen to ensure that residents of E Ward are not drowned out by the concerns and challenges of the East in Council.

I want to ensure that council is responsive to the needs of the local community through continually improved facilities and efficient service delivery, and am happy to read in the leader the latest report showing improved customer outcomes.

I wish to work with all the local community organisations across the sporting, cultural and service areas to allow them to thrive and continue to do their work with assistance from Council.

I look forward to the opportunity to serve.

Peter Scaysbrook (Labor)

Now retired, my working life has was primarily in metal manufacturing initially connected to automotive original equipment and later in the mining industry.

After gaining wide experience in large corporations, I owned and ran a small shire based business manufacturing components for the automation and robotics industry and dust suppression equipment for use in mining and conveyor applications.

Having always been interested in politics and public administration I was elected to Sutherland Council in C Ward in 2012, later successfully switching to E Ward, where I live , in 2016.

As the only current E Ward councillor contesting the 2021 election I acknowledge the contribution of the departing councillors particularly the current mayor Steve Simpson with whom I have always shared the ideals and aspirations exhibited in his 25 years of service.

The last five years have been like no other time in recent history and and the next decade will be spent developing the "new normal" in all levels of government but particularly at the local level. There will be considerable pressure on council's finances as we recover from the pandemic and a safe pair of hands to develop the strategies will be more important than ever.

The current council term has seen close cooperation between councillors of all persuasions as responses were needed to be quickly developed to address climate and environment challenges in addition to the COVID pandemic, and measures put in place to reduce the financial and physical burden on families and businesses that resulted.

Our shire has always been admired for its active lifestyle. Sport and recreation will continue to be of great importance as life returns to normal and proper management and enhancement of public infrastructure will be critical.

I sincerely believe that experience and a proven track record in these areas will be essential over the next few years to ensure that our shire maintains its reputation as the envy of Sydney for inclusion and liveability.

I believe I can bring the safe pair of hands needed, and ask for your support on the December 4.