BACKGROUND

Monica Wangmann is a truly independent Councillor.

Monica is not a member of and has never belonged to a major political party.    

She has never accepted financial or “in kind” donations

from developers, corporations, organisations, self interest groups, clubs or political parties.  

Her membership of or support for community groups does not affect her voting patterns on Council.
 
Monica joined Ashfield Council because she was concerned about the proposed sale of our public pool and several parks in the late 1990's. She was appalled that Council repeatedly approved over-development.  She is committed to representing the wishes of our residents.

The Inner West has been Monica's home for more than 40 years.  She has lived in North Ward with her husband Bill and their children Katherine and Bennett, for over 20 years.  She lives, shops and works in Ashfield. In their spare time, Monica and Bill enjoy travelling to Western NSW, to visit family and enjoy remote terrains and wetlands.

For most of her working life Monica was a financial planner and analyst.  She is the long-term editor of "FrogCall", a conservation newsletter, educator, rescue coordinator and committee member of the Frog and Tadpole Study Group of NSW Inc www.fats.org.au  member of the Australian Herpetological and Hawkesbury Herpetological Societies. 

PRIORITIES AND PLATFORMS

Ashfield municipality is already overcrowded.  It is the fourth most densely populated municipality in NSW.  It suffers from excess traffic, pollution, noise, dirty streets, graffiti, anti-social behaviour and crime. We need more open space, pedestrian and road safety, better street lighting, parking, traffic management, expanded recreational opportunities and library.  Our assets, such as the outdoor pools and facilities are in desperate need repair and upgrading.  Ashfield has the lowest ratio of parkland to people in NSW, ie less than 1/3 the accepted standard level. The municipality's infrastructure is aging, some of it over 100 years old.  Until our infrastructure is satisfactorily upgraded and repaired, no more multi-unit developments or “up-zonings” should be considered by Ashfield Council.

MONICA'S COMMITMENTS TO OUR RESIDENTS:

Ensure Council remains financially accountable and responsible for management plans, asset maintenance, income and expenditure

Conserve the low-rise character of our neighbourhoods, our built heritage and streetscapes

Protect local native fauna and local native and existing flora

Retain our remaining public land in public hands and protect our existing opens spaces, pools and parks

Expand and enhance our local library and its services

Upgrade and maintain our assets including the outdoor pools and aquatic center facilities

Increase Council's environmental initiatives, policy and strategies

Protect our residential amenity and remaining houses with back yards

Provide places for families and children to play

Encourage tolerance and free speech

Foster support services and lobby other tiers of government for necessary infrastructure services for our diverse, multi-cultural, aging, young and disadvantaged communities   

Lobby to reduce the proliferation of gaming and poker machines in the Inner West and reduce the harmful effects of gaming - currently affecting over 2 million Australians

Promote access to and improvements of safe, reliable and efficient public transport

Reduce air, water, noise and land pollution

Discourage the building of Inner West toll-roads, vehicle exhaust stacks and motorway entrances and exits. Motorways become a magnet for traffic and will increase the volumes of trucks and cars using our local streets.

Require transparency of actions in all levels of government, stamp out corruption and ban developer donations to political parties

Ensure extensive resident consultation

Improve how Council engages with our residents, business and community groups

As a member of the Ashfield and District Historical Society Email adhs@optusnet.com.au she actively supports the promotion and conservation of our municipality's' built history.

As a committee member of Save Our Suburbs (SOS) NSW inc, established in 1999, she works hard to make Ashfield a desirable place to live. SOS NSW inc is a network of community groups dedicated to protecting the residential amenity of current and future residents. See  www.sos.org.au

Monica actively supports the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay bike and pedestrian link, and re-vegetation projects associated with Green Web Sydney. She supports the Inner West Environment Group (IWEG) and Eco-Transit (light rail). She has actively campaigned against, the building of the M4 East polluting exhaust stacks and motorway, Port Botany and Port Enfield expansions, all of which will bring even more cars and trucks to the Inner West.

She is an active member of the Local Government Independents' Network and the Local Government Women's Association (ALGWA).

She actively supports The Infants Home which is a not-for-profit organisation committed to providing high-quality specialised services to children and families in our community.

She actively supports Cat Rescue, an Australian network of carers and vets who offer their own homes to re-home neglected and abandoned animals and the mandatory de-sexing of dogs and cats see http://www.catrescue.com.au/.

SOME SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

· Stopped the sale of several local parks including, 48 Alt Street, 64 Kensington Rd, Algae Park and Explorers Park .
· As a founder of Friends of Ashfield Pool, halted the sale of Ashfield's public pool
· Won the community fight to build an indoor pool.
· Kept our pool open all year. Previously, the pool was closed in winter.
. Kept the pool entry fees low, especially for families, seniors and local residents
. Expanded the pool facilities including a new (over $2M) covered heated pool, suitable for seniors, children, the disabled, learn to swim, sports recovery, aqua aerobics, health and fitness activities
.Initiated a seniors aqua fitness class for residents in aged-care facilities.
·Successfully lobbied for the employment of Council's first environmental officer and sustainable policies.
. Expanded environmentally friendly weed control programs
. Lobbied for container deposit legislation
· Lobbied to protect residential streets from over-development. Successfully opposed many over-developments
· Stopped the residential development plans for the Croydon Bowling Club land 
· Stopped town house development plans for the Energy Australia site on Croydon Rd, which should be kept as public open space
· Increased community involvement in town planning
. Organised our first community notice boards in North Ward with two more coming shortly at the pool and Croydon Station
· Initiated more Council notifications and communication with residents
· Increased the numbers of community representatives on Council committees 
· Initiated significant funding and upgrades for Croydon & Ashfield North shopping villages
· Actively supported local small business and many community groups
· Actively promoted health education for food shops  
· Successfully lobbied for better planning controls on new multi-unit developments, to protect residential amenity
· Initiated the creation of Council's enforcement officer position, to monitor the building of multi-units etc
· Fought hard to protect our remaining housing stock with back yards. Families and children need places to play
. Returned the Ashfield Town Hall to full community use and not for commercial companies based outside Ashfield
. Initiated the Homework Assistance Scheme at our libraries
. Successfully lobbied for additional funds, programs and staff for the Community Services Department of Council.
·  Successfully lobbied for a pedestrian bridge over Parramatta Rd
· Actively opposed the M4 East toll road. It will bring even more traffic and pollution to Ashfield and Croydon
. Lobbied to update effective municipal bike plans, paths, strategies and funding in Ashfield
. Successfully campaigned for the Greenway bike and walk link from Iron Cove to the Cooks River
· Successfully campaigned to install more road safety measures 
· Lobbied for better local public transport
· Questioned the plan for commercial paid parking at the Mall
· Lobbied for local anti-crime strategies eg more police foot patrols in local streets and better lighting
· Campaigned for more street cleaning, coin operated trolley systems and graffiti removal
· Successfully lobbed for more anti-graffiti murals and home library services
· Opposed forced Council amalgamations. Amalgamations will reduce local representation

COUNCILLOR MONICA WANGMANN'S VISION FOR ASHFIELD

That Ashfield becomes a community oriented, tolerant, welcoming, safe, clean, pollution free, vibrant, thriving and pleasant place for residents, ratepayers, businesses and shopkeepers.

That Council encourage environmentally sustainable town planning, improve pollution controls, carry out environmental education for example, improve storm water and air quality and reduce noise levels. Monica will continue to oppose inappropriate over-developments, fight to protect our public assets, our open spaces and parkland, work hard to upgrade our aquatic centre and oppose the destruction of the character of our residential streets, shopping centres and villages.

Your involvement in local government and your neighbourhood helps promote a sense of community, safety and well-being. Councillor Wangmann encourages you to take an interest in Local Government, attend Council meetings, be aware of Council's management plans and budgets and to contact Council in writing or herself about your concerns. She welcomes resident and community comment. Residents, ratepayers and any visitors can speak at meetings about items on the agenda.

As your local Independent Councillor it is important for Monica to hear your concerns. Councillors represent you, your neighbourhood communities, residents, local businesses, ratepayers and shopkeepers, not political parties or the corporations and developers who donate to them. Monica is committed to impartially considering the merits of every Council application she votes on.

Councillor Wangmann says that it is an honour to represent Ashfield residents and small business. She campaigns on environmental issues, social justice, civil rights, equal access to education and health care for all.  She works to retain and upgrade public assets such as our swimming centre and libraries, advocating for real strategies to reduce addiction to gaming / poker machines and its often unseen disastrous consequences for families and friends, seeking safer, cleaner streets, supporting resident's needs for parking and supporting local small business. Please let Monica know if she can be of assistance to you.

Monica is an experienced, local, hard working and truly independent Councillor.
She is your voice in local government.