Northcote By-Election 2017
Bryony Edwards is Save the Planet's candidate in the Northcote by-election. Bryony previously ran for Save the Planet in the 2016 council elections (Darebin) and in the 2014 Victorian elections (Northcote).
In between elections, Bryony has been encouraging councils across Australia to adopt climate emergency policy with CACE (Community Action in the Climate Emergency) and works full time in human services. She's also an avid organic grower and cyclist and has lived in the Victorian State seat of Northcote since 2008.
In between elections, Bryony has been encouraging councils across Australia to adopt climate emergency policy with CACE (Community Action in the Climate Emergency) and works full time in human services. She's also an avid organic grower and cyclist and has lived in the Victorian State seat of Northcote since 2008.
How to Vote Card and Flier
Can you help hand out how to vote cards on election day? If yes, email us at VOTEPLANET at GMAIL dot COM.
Preferences are based solely on climate policy and perceived likelihood that candidates would prioritise climate action (NO PREFERENCE DEALS!).
See our HTV card and FLIER here
https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Elections/HTVC/11-Northcote%20District%20By-election%202017/BryonyEdwardsFinalCopyHTVC.pdf
Preferences are based solely on climate policy and perceived likelihood that candidates would prioritise climate action (NO PREFERENCE DEALS!).
See our HTV card and FLIER here
https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Elections/HTVC/11-Northcote%20District%20By-election%202017/BryonyEdwardsFinalCopyHTVC.pdf
Bryony's Policies
I support Save the Planet's primary and secondary policy platforms to go to zero emissions across all sectors at emergency speed, to start drawing down excess emissions through revegetation, rebuilding soil carbon, biochar, and other available technologies, and by doing whatever else it takes. This is a huge scope of work encompassing transport, construction, stationary energy, urban, regional and rural land use, waste, and more.
My key climate focus for this election includes:
Decent housing is a human right. My housing policy includes:
Other policy includes:
My key climate focus for this election includes:
- the No More Bad Investments Act in Vic
- climate emergency legislation (as per the Climate Emergency Act)
- implementing the existing Beyond Zero Emissions 10-year transition plans and funding the development of others
- establishing the Great Forest National Park
Decent housing is a human right. My housing policy includes:
- A 20% inclusionary zoning target for Greater Melbourne. This means 20% of new privately developed strata title units are rented out affordably and managed by registered Victorian housing associations. Developers across Melbourne get huge windfall profits and we need to capture this for general benefit. Even when local governments want an inclusionary zoning target, and many councils do, the planning scheme does not currently allow this flexibility.
- Facilitating the growth of single-owner strata title rental stock, as in the US and EU, where renters are able to live for a lifetime in the same unit because the units aren't treated as a buy-sell investment asset, to be sold off when market prices surge. It also means governments can readily subsidise for affordability and/or restrict growth in rents.
- Repurposing how stamp duty is used (ie., a great deal of it should be going to social housing) or getting that revenue from elsewhere. Stamp duty's mere existence as a tax means that the state government is wedded to housing price growth as it helps fill the state coffer.
- Increasing the concentration of public and community owned housing stock. At its peak, public housing made up 20% of Vic housing stock but all social housing now comprises less than 3% of housing stock. The market alone, even when not geared to reward investors at the expense of people that just want somewhere to live, cannot provide decent housing for households on Centrelink incomes or at the lowest 20% of the income distribution. This is more markedly the case with the degree of population growth we are experiencing. The government must play a very significant role in the production and maintenance of housing.
- Ban auctions. They drive up prices. Other states survive without them.
Other policy includes:
- Campaign finance reform, which would ban fossil fuel, gambling, tobacco or alcohol interests from donating to political campaigns or advertising. This would include donations from individuals who have financial interests in any of these socially destructive areas. We would also ban donations from developers and publicly release all political donations prior elections.
- Phase out pokies over 5 years. Did you know that some states manage, even thrive, without pokies!? Incredible.
- Ban advertising for sports gambling.
- A Treaty. While the Federal government fails us so miserably, why can't Vic go it alone?
- Greater income equity with every lever we have at the state level. Did you know, positive social outcomes (eg. across a range of health and social indicators) are all highly correlated to income equality? The more equal a society, the better the social outcomes. Amazingly, it's not just better for people at the lower end of the income scale but these benefits also extend to people at the higher end.
Links
Candidates' ForUm at Northcote TownHall 9 November 2017
The Darebin Community Network organised a candidates forum at Northcote Town Hall. Ten of the 12 candidates attended. - a few mentions on the climate emergency including from Lydia (Green) and Claire (Labor), which is heartening, but not much talk on real climate emergency goals.
A recording of the FORUM is available HERE. Bryony speaks at 34:45, 57:05, 1:29:00, 1:31:33.
A recording of the FORUM is available HERE. Bryony speaks at 34:45, 57:05, 1:29:00, 1:31:33.