The Trust is not supporting any particular candidate for mayor or councillor. We urge Trust members to consider the records of those sitting councillors who are standing again and to carefully examine the information that has been provided by all the candidates: see details below.
We want representatives on Council who will work to preserve the garden character of Hunters Hill and who will support the conservation of its unique natural and built heritage. We want councillors who will take a stand against inappropriate development and who will not be overawed by the dictates of a pro-development State government.
A P R O – D E V E L O P M E N T C O U N C I L ?
A number of candidates have an interest in property development and real estate. Through preference swapping between groups there is a real possibility that a pro-development lobby could end up with a majority on Council. The Trust strongly believes this would not be in the best interests of Hunters Hill. Former councillor and long-time Trust member Phil Jenkyn has analysed the candidates and their groupings. See Phil’s article: http://www.discoverhuntershill.com.au/hunters_local_news.asp?id=2348
THE CANDIDATES
The Trust has put together the following from what has been provided by the candidates on the electoral commission website. The fact that some candidates have provided little or no information about themselves or their policies clearly is something that speaks for itself. Listed below is a summary of what was provided, plus a little more from various other websites.
To download information about the candidates for:
Mayor – click here
North Ward – click here
South Ward – click here
To check which ward you are in – click here
For other information about this election – click here.
M A Y O R A L C A N D I D A T E S
Richard Quinn
- Born 1957, lives in Hunters Hill (25 years)
- Member of Liberal Party
- Director of Development St Joseph’s College
- Currently Deputy Mayor and has been a councillor and since 1999, with service on many committees
- Despite party membership is an independent on HH Council
- Application witnessed by Joanne Maree Wilson.
Peter Astridge
- Lives in Hunters Hill
- Current councillor and for the last 17 years with service on many committees
- No selling of community owned land to developers, replace playgrounds removed from North Ward, restrict traffic along Ryde Road, remove graffiti promptly, continue to fight against aircraft noise, proper consultation with the community over use of parks, speed up DA processing times.
- Application witnessed by Garry John Billett.
Meredith Sheil
- Lives in Hunters Hill
- Sitting councillor with service on committees
- Medical Practitioner, company director, scientist
- Strong focus on preserving, protecting and enhancing the heritage, character, sustainability, vitality and amenity of Hunters Hill.
- Application witnessed by Sue Hoopmann.
Ross Sheerin
- Lives in Hunters Hill (over 45 years)
- Sitting councillor and since 1987, Former Mayor (1993 – 1995)
- Valuer, Member of Australian Property Institute
- Listed as self-employed on information sheet, listed on web as principal of Belle Property Gladesville
- Application witnessed by Michael Gallina of Belle Property.
N O R T H W A R D: Group A
Peter Astridge
- See details under Mayoral candidates
Bassam Batshon
- Born 1956, Lives in Gladesville, resident for 41 years
- Civil Engineer, Project manager Railcorp
- Wants to ensure council is run effectively and ensure better management of contractors working in the streets
- Application witnessed by Betty Di Pasqua
Peter Warner
- Born 1939, lives in Hunters Hill
- Retired, Held a management position with RTA
- Served on Public Transport and Traffic Committee
- Wants to improve footpaths, reduce charges and graffitti
- Application witnessed by Garry John Billett
NORTH WARD: Group B
Richard Quinn
- See details under Mayoral candidates
Mark Bennett
- Born 1952, lives in Hunters Hill
- Company director, Psychologist, JP
- Interested in effective management of HH and wellbeing of aged populations
- Application witnessed by Sue Hoopmann
Gary Bird
- Born 1973, lives in Gladesville
- Member Liberal Party
- Marketing Professional
- Application witnessed by Rajesh Thakorlal
NORTH WARD Group C
Peter Velo
- Lives in Hunters Hill
- No details given
- Application witnessed by Ross Sheerin
Nenad Vitas
- Born 1988, lives in Woolwich
- Member Liberal Party
- Employed by Henry Bucks
- A proclaimed “passion for community service since high school”
- Application witnessed by Joanne Maree Wilson
Trent Eddington
- Lives in Hunters Hill
- No details given
- Application witnessed by Ross Sheerin
NORTH WARD ungrouped
Murray Butt
- Lives in Hunters Hill
- No details given
- Application witnessed by Ida Osaux-Blessing.
S O U T H W A R D: Group A
Charles Amos
- Born 1949, lives in Woolwich
- Member Liberal Party
- Accountant, lived in HH for 24 years.
- Past president HH Rotary
- Past Chairman of Caroline Chisolm Retirement Village
- Member HHC Roads and Traffic Committee
- Application witnessed byDavid Alexander Brown.
Julian Claxton
- Born 1973, lives in Hunters Hill
- Member Liberal Party
- Independent security advisor, skilled in counter-espionage. Regularly engaged in confidential tasks
across the globe. Uses his travel experience to develop understanding of global security trends. - Application witnessed by Gillian Tam.
Joan-Mary Hinds
- Born 1940
- Principal Hinds Workforce Research
- Background in teaching, social welfare
- Committed to preservation of unique community atmosphere and historic environment of HH
- Application witnessed by Mark Bennett.
SOUTH WARD Group B
Ross Sheerin
- See details under Mayoral candidates.
Vince Messina
- Born 1965
- Member Liberal Party
- Company director
- Application witnessed by Ross Sheerin.
Mat Sherman
- No details given
- Application witnessed by Ross Sheerin.
SOUTH WARD Group C
Justine McLaughlin
- Born 1969, has lived in Hunters Hill for 14 years
- Solicitor
- Past president of HH Public P&C & HH Preschool Association
- Active in HH community
- “Passionate about preserving the historic nature of the area and pledges to work hard to help its unque heritage”
Application witnessed by Sue Hoopman - Application witnessed by Maill Bennett.
Meredith Sheil
- See details under Mayoral candidates.
Jason Lin
- Born 1976
- Pharmacist with The Good Chemist retail pharmacy
- Served on Council 2004-2008
- Application witnessed by Sue Hoopman.
SOUTH WARD Group D
Zac Miles
- Lives Hunters Hill
- No details given
- Application witnessed by Francis Tan.
Anastasia Joyce
- Lives Hunters Hill
- No details given
- Application witnessed by Justin Burt.
Annabel Croll
- Lives in Huntley’s Cove
- No details given
- Former Councillor
- Listed on web as Sales Executive Belle Property Gladesville
- Application witnessed by Michael Gallina, Principal, Belle Property Gladesville
SOUTH WARD: ungrouped
Jim Sanderson
- Born 1953, lives in HH
- Engineer, design and management. Law graduate doing a masters in planning law
Involved in the fight to save HH High - Wants to do what he can to prevent concrete monstrosities
- Application witnessed by Joo Won Maeng
I am deeply concerned at the number of councillors going up for election that have had their application witnessed by senior management, directors at Belle Property Group. Concerns about stacking the numbers to get development through appears to be a real issue all Hunters Hill residents should be aware of when voting.
Hate to tell you but a council that is completely anti-development will just piss people off. This includes RESIDENTS as well as developers. You WILL end up with a council that is pro development because your ratepayers are mad at the current situation & fed up with being insulted by council. I do not want to live in a crumbling wreck because council will not let me do anything to it, nor do my neighbours. I also don’t want to live in Hunters Hill next to 5 storey unit blocks (like KuRingGai). Find a happy medium please. You are digging Hunters Hill’s grave by being so narrow-minded and short sighted. (By the way, the house I grew up in, in the UK was 900 years old. That’s heritage…).
Well Alf, i was unaware heritage only belongs to English homes and castles etc numbering in the hundreds of years…
Australia is young in comparison to its captors over in Europe, and in such, a property of 100 years here does constitute ‘heritage’. Furthermore, I think what Liane refers to is uncontrolled development that changes the feel and shape and unique personality of Hinters Hill / Woolwich. That it is a great old peninsula with a lot of history and a sense of escape from this now seemingly development obsessed city. Sydney as a whole is changing, and the pressure of development will unfold and reveal it’s ugly teeth in time to come. Instead of develop regional areas and grow sensibly, we are just fattening up the rat cage and the city as a whole will change for it, and not for the better. Look at Hunters Hill overpass now, its a dog to try and get through in rush hour, coupled with ridiculous parking spaces on main roads it can be a dog to get through even outside rush hours. One broken down car or bus, as I have seen in the last month results in chaos.
And she is right, Ross Sherrin is a real estate agent and developer, he is in it for himself, to fatten up his wallet. A narcissist in his little cinquecento (what we locals referred to as the ‘clown car’) during the last elections.
My wife’s family has lived in HH for 50 years. And we can all tell you flat chat that the last ten has seen a dramatic change of feel and cultural history from the favoritism shown to development of businesses and the love of capital greed. HH is a unique place, especially the peninsula, and it is eroding at a rapid rate thanks to people who enter politics for the sake of bettering their own financial position. There were no tears when Ross and his ‘no details given’ pals went away.
Well Alf, the Municipality of Hunters Hill “used” to be special, now thanks to our latest council it is just another spot close to the city with old suburban blocks ripe for infill development.
You fret about 5 story apt blocks, but 5 doors up from me there will soon be high rise towers 58m high – that’s one and a half times the height of the Gladesville bridge.
And all of this to be built on land sold only last month by council, including a Heritage listed timber cottage turning 100 this year.
This was defended by Mayor Quinn because we supposedly got a great price, and according to Clr Sheil “The revitalisation of the commercial precinct required re-zoning to encourage re-development.”
I used to visit Gladesville for rowing almost every afternoon when I was a boarder at school, and I must say it is almost unrecognisable today. It will soon be just another high rise jungle.
It’s interesting when you read this with the benefit of several years hindsight, because it’s blatantly obvious to even the casual observer our current council has sold us all down the river in so many ways,
Councils handling of the Gladesville development is just one more example of their contempt for the local community. That part of the municipality west of the overpass can’t possibly have anything of heritage value can it?
Then there’s the forced amalgamation debacle, where they wasted hundreds of thousands of our hard earned money on their so called superior option (the ill considered JRA) before spitting the dummy and refusing to lodge a final submission.
When that failed they moved to openly denigrating our elected representatives and attacking the State Government. Now there’s a plan.
Anything has to be better than what we currently have (and yes I really do believe things are that bad) so bring on the merger I say.