Greens to take a shot at seat of Kiama

Tonia Gray, a councillor on Shoalhaven City Council, has been preselected to run for the party.

So far she is only the second candidate to nominate, the first being Labor's Katelin McInerney.

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"I'm running because more capable women are needed in politics," said Dr Gray, a professor in the School of Education at Western Sydney University.

"Our local communities are demanding transparent and honest decision-making. Inappropriate development is a serious threat to our local coastal communities and the current Coalition state government has sidelined local input into planning decisions."

Born in Wollongong Hospital, Dr Gray has lived in the Kiama electorate for almost 30 years - 13 years in the town of Kiama and 16 years in Berry.

"As the daughter and granddaughter of Port Kembla steelworkers, I was educated in the public sector," Dr Gray said.

"I graduated as a high school teacher from the University of Wollongong. I lectured at UOW in the School of Education from 1989 to 2012."

Among her policies are a rapid transition to renewable energy and public ownership of energy assets, protecting the environment and "expanded funding" for education, public housing, hospitals and public transport.

"The current government has done nothing to address housing affordability and emergency accommodation, has widened the inequality gap, and transitioned too slowly into renewables," Dr Gray said.

"NSW's education and health systems are beyond breaking point, we are haemorrhaging good people."

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