Braid and Wagga Women's Alliance's Atlanta Hall discuss Wagga's future

Councillor Yvonne Braid, the only woman on a council of 10, is vying for a third consecutive term in local government. 

Councillor Braid’s community involvement extends to Ronald McDonald House, Country Hope and Sunrise Rotary Club. 

Atlanta Hall, the second candidate on the Wagga Women's Alliance ticket, is hoping to whittle down the huge gender gap that plagues local government.

Ms Hall has worked with homeless and disadvantaged teenagers, in juvenile justice, child protection and early intervention with vulnerable families.

What are the biggest issues Wagga faces?

Parking is a big issue and I would like to see commercial parking allotments along the streets adjacent to Baylis and Fitzmaurice streets.

A couple of commercial car parks that are affordable would ease parking congestion in a relatively short period of time.

There’s $900,000 in a parking fund, which should be spent on lighting and security measures at the beach car park so people use it more. 

Also, we need to keep rates affordable and make sure rate rises are reserved for life and death issues like upgrading the levee bank to keep people safe from floods. 

As for the levee bank upgrade, we need to decide whether one in twenty year protection is adequate flood protection for North Wagga. 

Finally, we should never forget our rural community, they’re the bread and butter of our community and they feed our population.

You're one of the least vocal councillors in public meetings, is that a reflection of lack of involvement?

I think it's better to vote for the people rather than grandstanding.

I have a lot of involvement in the community and do not want to betray confidences in a public meetings, but I'm aware of all the issues that come before council and in many cases know people directly involved. 

Should political parties be allowed on council?

I would prefer council remained totally local and not guided by outsiders.

Should the mayor be elected by residents instead of councillors?

Giving residents the power to elect the mayor risks a one-issue campaigner gaining traction and being elected as leader of council, without knowing what else they may stand for. 

If the mayor could be elected, it may also attract more political parties to enter the council race.

However, it would give the mayor a broader commitment to the community, because they would be less beholden to other councillors. 

Are you in a voting bloc with councillors Kerry Pascoe and Paul Funnell?

No.

I am my own person and anybody that knows me well certainly knows I do not take instructions from anybody.

I probably tend to vote with councillors Pascoe and Funnell because I can see what they're trying to achieve. 

What are the biggest issues Wagga faces?

Much has been made of drugs and youth crime but I tend to believe they’re symptoms of residents disconnected from family and community, not a problem in itself.

Council’s role is to help people feel more connected to the community through youth council and a PCYC youth precinct, which will reduce crime. 

Roads are another big issue, Wagga is renowned for the poor state of its roads, for example I was driving over the new Kapooka bridge a few weeks ago and they’re already repairing potholes.

Wagga is known as a great place to live and commute because everything’s a 15-minute drive away, but that’s no longer the case.

The Gobba Bridge is under increasing stress with the growth of Estella and Boorooma, you can’t walk or ride a bike over it and it doesn’t even have a breakdown lane, which means small inconveniences like a flat tyre can cause hours of delays. 

In almost equal measure, council needs to address the Glenfield Road overpass and the increasing congestion for residents in Lloyd, Hilltop and Glenoak. 

Is Wagga sufficiently accommodating of different cultures?

Twenty years ago when my father and his Thai wife came to visit me in Wagga, they jokingly asked whether there were any Asians in Wagga who didn’t work at an Indian or Thai restaurant. 

Since then Wagga has adjusted, adapted and grown, with increasing numbers of people from all over the world. 

Hundreds of refugee families move to Wagga every year and we are a shining light in positive integration of refugees into community, evident in the growth of the Fusion Festival, which started small and now attracts people from across the state.

A lot of people mistakenly view refugees as recipients of houses, cars, money and jobs at the expense of our poor aged pensioners and homeless; council could play a bigger part educating people about refugees’ economic, cultural and social contribution to our community.

How likely do you think it is the next Wagga council will be more diverse? 

I'm optimistic; when you have a greater mix of gender, skills, experiences and expertise you can't help but get better initiatives and outcomes.

Does Wagga have a domestic violence problem?

Domestic violence is a massive problem and a large percentage of police work is responding to incidents of domestic and family violence.

Services we have in Wagga are at capacity and aren’t offering the full scope of services to people who need it because they don’t have enough resources to meet the demand. 

Council could offer the existing services doing a lot of good work – the Women’s Refuge, Wagga Women’s Health Centre – help tapping into more state and federal funding.