Council Member Profile

Quarterly Column

May 2026

The year is progressing very fast. There are many projects underway and the splash park and foreshore development should be starting very soon. I can’t wait for the children and families of our community to be able to enjoy the area and have an extra space where we can connect and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

The local elections will also be here before you know it. The community needs to consider who has the connections and skills to be able to advocate for everyone. It’s very important that we have the right team – with a diverse range of knowledge and skills – working together respectfully to move things in a positive direction for the good of the community.

As a community leader, I take my role as an advocate very seriously. I personally remain accessible for conversations about issues that the community would like addressed. It‘s also very good to have those conversations about what is working well for our community. As Deputy Mayor, I feel it’s important to act with integrity. I demonstrate these skills by open, respectful communication, leading by example and offering a variety of ways that community can keep in contact with me. That’s another reason I am so active within the community.

Developing initiatives such as the youth markets and networking events are a way I’ve helped to empower our community to ‘support local first’. If we want new businesses to be attracted to Whyalla, we need to prove that we are a community that will support new business. We need diversity in business here so we aren’t so reliant on one big company and through a supportive community promoting local business first, we’ll give outside businesses a level of confidence in taking a chance on Whyalla.

We’ve been very fortunate with the support of all tiers of government allowing our city to have new development like the new ambulance station and sports hub; as well as funding major projects such as the airport runway upgrade and the upcoming splash park and foreshore community facility (courtesy of significant council lobbying). We also look forward to the announcement of the new owners of the steelworks, which will add a level of confidence within the community and to businesses looking to invest here.

An area that I feel we still need to advocate for are lack of services in many sectors including health, mental health, childcare, housing for all demographics and ages; and aged care facilities etc.

As a community we are very good at supporting each other - together we can make a difference and have a positive impact. We are very resilient and I consider myself extremely lucky to live in this amazing community.

I encourage residents to contact me at anytime to discuss concerns and ideas for programs that can support and enhance our community. I am a people-person and easy to engage with and a good listener, but most importantly I love actioning ideas.

Thank you for reading and I hope to serve my community for many years to come.

Previous Columns

November 2025

As a community leader, I take my role as an advocate for the community very seriously. I keep connected to a variety of groups so I can keep in touch with community needs and be accessible for conversations about issues that the community would like addressed. It is also very good to have those conversations about what is working well for our community. As Deputy Mayor, I feel that it’s important to be accessible and to act with integrity. I demonstrate these skills by using open and respectful communication, leading by example and offering a variety of ways that the community can keep in contact with me. That is another reason I am so active within the community.

It’s okay to sit back and dream big and come up with ideas, but it means a lot more if you can then put these ideas into action and make a difference. Developing initiatives such as the youth markets and networking events are a way I have helped to show our community to what is available locally and really push the message to support local first. If we want new businesses to be attracted to Whyalla, we need to prove that we are a community that will support new business.  We need diversity in business here so we aren’t so reliant on one big company, and through a supportive community promoting local business first, it’s a step in the right direction that would give outside businesses a level of confidence in taking a chance on Whyalla.

We have been very lucky with the support of all tiers of government recently and this shows that Whyalla really is important in the eyes of the nation. Not only have we been able to save our steelworks, but council has also worked hard to secure funding for some major developments such as the airport upgrade and the future Foreshore precinct upgrade. In the near future, the community will have an area at the foreshore that will have an inclusive playground for all ages and abilities, inviting seating areas and family connection spaces - it will be something we can all be proud of.

I love this city that I have called my home for many years, but like many residents, I’m concerned about the current lack of services in many sectors, including health, safety, aged care etc. As a community we are very good at supporting each other, as a collective we can make a difference and have a positive impact.

We are also very fortunate to live in a city that has so many positives - we have bush, beach and mountains for our surroundings, something for everyone. We need to be grateful for having beautiful surroundings, as well as sport and recreation groups to cover many residents’ needs. We have great events and opportunities to bring our community together, volunteers from many groups that give back and enhance our community in so many areas, we have a very laid-back lifestyle and, most of all, we have amazing people within or community to share our day-to-day experiences with.

I encourage residents to contact me at any time to discuss concerns and ideas for programs that can support and enhance our community. I am a people person, easy to engage with, a good listener, but most importantly, I love actioning ideas.

Thank you for reading and I hope to serve my community for many years to come.

March 2025

I have an education and events background and this has encouraged me to be very active within the community to empower groups with knowledge of our community and its needs. Being active with so many different groups also has given me the opportunity to engage and have insight to many different perspectives within our community. This in return helps me as an elected member to advocate the needs of the community when at Council meetings.

I am passionate about serving the people of Whyalla and I take my role very seriously. Being on so many committees and boards gives me the chance to not only give back to a city that has been there for me and my family all my life, but I can also stay connected with current issues, barriers, opportunities and amazing – but very stretched – services available to our community.

I love this city I have called my home for many years, but like many residents, I’m concerned about the current lack of services in many sectors including health, safety, aged care etc.

As a community, we are very good at supporting each other when in need and right now, we are in a phase where we need to work as a team to turn some of our current issues around. I understand the frustration of some people and, as a collective, we can make a difference and have a positive impact. Community engagement and supporting opportunities are definitely priorities of mine and as a community we need to respectfully advocate for those services that we feel need extra support.

We are also very fortunate to live in a city that has so many positives. Sometimes it’s very easy to focus on our needs, but we also need to be grateful for having beautiful surroundings, sport and recreation groups to cover many residents’ needs. We have great events and opportunities to bring our community together, volunteers from many groups that give back and enhance our community in so many areas, we have a very laid-back lifestyle and most of all, we have amazing people within or community to share our day-to-day experiences with.

I encourage residents to contact me at any time to discuss concerns and ideas for programs that can support and enhance our community. I am a people person and easy to engage with and a good listener. But most importantly, I love actioning ideas. Thank you for reading and I hope to serve my community for many years to come.