Two of the candidates vying to become Wollongong's lord mayor have outlined how they want to improve the ways people move around the city.
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Labor candidate and incumbent deputy mayor, Tania Brown, wants to see Wollongong become a leader in the space of electric vehicles and has laid out a plan to get the city there.
It includes switching the entire council fleet of vehicles to electric by 2030 and mandating that electric vehicle charging infrastructure be included in the designs of all new council buildings.
Cr Brown also wants to review the council's development control plans to include charging stations in retail, commercial, high-density housing and industrial projects, and have the council partner with industry and education on research and trials - which she said would open up jobs, too.
Leading the country on electric vehicles was a "great opportunity" for Wollongong to build on its reputation as a City of Innovation, she said, and make the technology more accessible to the wider community.
Cr Brown said it was also an easy step towards the council's goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2030.
"Tackling climate change shouldn't just be a feel-good exercise, our announcement today shows that council can take practical steps to drive down emissions by supporting electric vehicles across the city," she said.
Meanwhile, Greens candidate Cr Mithra Cox said a top priority for her was improving the walkability of the city, especially for school children.
Cr Cox was in Mount St Thomas yesterday, where she said parents had long complained that it was unsafe for their children to walk to school, with a lack of crossings and sections of road with no footpaths and no verges.
But she said it was an issue across much of the city, with many children driven to school despite living within walking distance because of safety concerns.
Cr Cox said she was proud of the speed at which the current council had rolled out new footpaths, but this work had not been backed up with pedestrian crossings.
A whole strategy was needed to improve the safety and convenience of walking, she said, which would include slowing down cars, putting in new footpaths, and installing more crossings.
"This is the single simplest way of reducing traffic congestion," Cr Cox said.
The NSW local government elections will be held on Saturday, December 4.
Pre-polling has already begun, with stations across the Illawarra open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, until December 3.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
