Former Greens candidate Ros Prangnell runs for Wagga council

Former Greens council and federal election candidate Ros Prangnell has severed ties with the progressive political party and wants a total ban of property developers on council. 

Research scientist Patricia Murray has joined forces with Ms Prangnell to raise awareness of the environmental issues involved in planning. 

Why did you leave the Greens?

If I get on council, I want to focus solely on the Wagga area and not be distracted by state and federal politics.

Greens work slightly differently to major parties in that the Greens have five to six conferences per year and I would feel a duty as a Greens member to go those meetings, taking me and my dollars out of Wagga.

Have you changed your political colours or are you a Green in disguise?

There’s still issues I feel passionately about, like the privatisation of government utilities being a very bad thing.

I still believe in investment into renewable energies and I still think we should be looking a lot more into voluntary euthanasia. 

I tend to be more middle of the road than the Greens; my agricultural background has given me a very pragmatic view of the world. 

I come from a farming background, where you have to be very down to earth, not 100 per cent idealistic. 

In a recent article you said it was time to clean out some dead wood on council – who is the dead wood?

I've been listening and attending council meetings now for the last four years and there are some councillors who have not made a contribution and have not been heard at all in four years.

Also, I do not believe anybody involved in development should be on council, we need a more community-based and diverse council representing everyone's interests.

I’m not saying there's any major corruption or scandals here in Wagga but developers get inside knowledge and the potential for lack of transparency and corruption is therefore higher.

Why are Wagga's roads so bad and what can be done about it?

Increased rain is a factor and we have more cars and heavier cars on the road including sports utility vehicles and four wheel drives.

Soil instability is another factor, because when the soil gets water-logged it loses structure, which can come from a rising water table or excessive rain.

It’s also possible sub-substandard road materials are being used. 

One of the first things I'd be looking at is the contracting and maintenance schedule. 

We have an increasing population and we need to start developing up, not out, in certain areas to concentrate the population and achieve a critical mass for public transport.

What are the big issues Wagga faces?

Developing and growing a healthy community, while addressing some of the environmental challenges around us like flooding and salinity.

We need to ensure the levee bank is upgraded because we want to protect both businesses and community.

Then there are bread and butter issues, including managing waste, which is the single costliest item in the council budget.

If we reduce our waste we'll reduce rates.

If you were mayor, would you spend $6,000 of ratepayers' money so the general manager could inspect recycling in our German sister city?

Perhaps the mayor could have inspected the recycling centres himself, rather than having two people go.

What is the 80:20 rule and why does reducing it in Lloyd put Glenfield and Ashmont at risk?

Wagga is a recharge area where fractured rock lets water into the water table until it reaches clay, then it runs downhill and pops up at the bottom of the slope.

Currently 80 per cent of a person's block in Lloyd has to be impervious to water so it doesn't get down through the fractured rock and is carried away elsewhere instead.

If the 80 per cent figure is reduced, more water will enter the system and pop up in Glenfield and Ashmont.

Before Lloyd was developed it was pasture and the perennial grasses sucked up all the rain from the soil.

That’s one example of how looking at natural landscape can impact planning.

What are the big issues Wagga faces?

In the short-term, council needs to focus on improving the levee bank, not only on Wagga side but also on North Wagga side.

If the the levee bank is made higher on the Wagga side, water will be pushed back to north Wagga; it’s silly to just do one side.

In the longer term, present developments are not particularly friendly places because they don't have passive recreational facilities that are needed.

Decent pathways are needed to push prams, wheelchairs and skateboarding. 

All these passive recreation areas should be connected, because at present kids need to go out on to the street for play or even to walk.

Why can council do to reduce youth crime?

Youth crime is partly caused by not enough places for kids to go at night to play basketball or interact.

It comes down to what sort of funding is available, but having community centres open at night for kids would be good.

It might be cooking classes, somewhere to make themselves a meal, as well as recreational activities.

As an ecologist, what is the future of farming in the Riverina?

The climate is changing – I’m not getting into the debate about man's contribution – but we have to accept the changes.

If things hot up, plants use more water and if rain is more sporadic you can't rely on the autumn break.

Farmers have face a tough challenge to work with the high variability of the climate and they need to look at different cropping systems and different animals that are more resistant.