This year, I'm running for council in Hornsby Ward C to make a dent in our housing crisis and make Council work for you.
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Who I Am
I'm a 19 year-old university student at the University of Sydney (studying computing and science).I live (and always have lived) in West Pennant Hills and attended the local public school and Normanhurst Boys High School; for about a decade I swum weekly at the Carlile Swimming Center at Cherrybrook.
As a high school student, I founded my school's environmental group, which worked on initiatives such as litter reduction and installing solar panels.
Why I'm Running
We all know the housing crisis is out of control. Prices have surged everywhere in the last few years, and here they've climbed to nearly two and a half million dollars, comparable to areas on the Northern Beaches.To pay for that you'd need half a million down and twelve thousand a month in mortgage payments. Young people and key workers increasingly can't afford to live here, and in the long term that's going to hurt our community.
The existing solutions are inadequate. Converting any farmland or bushland into monotonous sprawl like in the Hills would badly damage our environment and should not be remotely under consideration. The Greens tout their public housing advocacy, but while this is a step in the right direction public housing comprises barely one in eighty dwellings in the Council, essentially all in Hornsby, so this has done very little for us here in Ward C.
Ultimately, building more new housing in our existing centers is the way forward. By expediting the construction of new duplexes, townhouses and mixed-use apartments in the areas where they are most in demand, we can make sure our community remains a place for everyone.
And with no other candidate willing to advocate strongly for this, I felt that I had to try. As an independent, the only thing driving me is trying to do what's best for this area.
What I'll Do
By enabling new mixed-use apartments in some or all of the Beecroft, Cheltenham, Thompsons' Corner, Cherrybrook Metro and Cherrybrook Village areas, I will work to provide thousands of units of rental housing that struggling young people and families can afford.
With the extra money from development and new housing keeping Council finances stable, and the reduction in house prices relative to the rest of the council area, I aim to deliver a rate cut for most homeowners, instead of the planned 12% hike over the next two years.
Another benefit that will accompany this is new shops, community facilities and leisure spaces, such as the Cherrybrook Library and park upgrades.
Finally, I will prioritize public and active transport, advocating for the extension and creation of footpaths and cycling tracks and coordinating with TfNSW to improve bus services.
How To Vote
How You Can Help
If you would like to contact me to share your opinion or volunteer your support, my email is hfchudleigh@gmail.com.
All content on this page is authorized by Harrison Chudleigh, 110 Victoria Road, West Pennant Hills. Together, we can do better.