Small businesswoman and former nurse Kate McConville is standing for the Greens in ward 4.
After many years working as a registered nurse and educator, Ms McConville now runs a printing business with her husband Sebastiaan.
They have lived in Lapstone with their two sons for almost 20 years in the former home of her grandparents.
Ms McConville said: “I am running for council because I want the Mountains to remain a vibrant, healthy place where people can live and work happily.
“Growing local jobs is vital to our sustainability. As one of the many commuters leaving the Mountains each day, I would prefer to work closer to home.”
Ms McConville is known for her community activism and charity fundraising. She established the kitchen garden at Lapstone Public School using permaculture principles, when her sons were pupils there.
“One of the most important outcomes of the kitchen garden was that it brought the entire school community together and created interest from the wider community. If elected as a councillor, I will encourage and facilitate community building around common goals.”
The school garden also became a bushcare project. “I used my bush care training with the children and we fought back the encroachment of grass from the school property into Darks Common.
“Council relies on concerned residents to control weed encroachment into our World Heritage listed National Park. They need to do much more or the problem will become unmanageable.”
The mounting pressure from development is a major concern for Ms McConville.
“We must ensure that development is community-centred and not at the expense of our low-key friendly villages and unique ecosystems. We have to be realistic about our limited urban area and the traffic infrastructure it can bear.”
Ms McConville has held many positions in Business Network International, which has taught her what can be achieved when there is communication and co-operation between different sectors of our society.
“I see council as a facilitator rather than just a regulator. This starts with establishing more accessible channels of communication and responding with transparency and accountability.”
