Belinda Hogarth-Boyd runs for council

A member of the Queanbeyan Palerang Community Voice team, Ms Hogarth-Boyd has previously been a Councillor and Deputy Mayor on Palerang Council. She works as a Human Resource Advisor with CSIRO.

Candidate’s supplied statement.

I have lived in the region for 30 years. My parents moved to Queanbeyan in 1987. I attended Queanbeyan High School, graduating in 1992. I then lived in and around Queanbeyan before settling in Bungendore in 2007.

I was on the former Palerang Council where I served as a Councillor and Deputy Mayor prior to the amalgamation.

A commitment to community engagement.  In working across various communities in Palerang I strived to remain informed on local issues by participating in Council and community Committees across the region: National Theatre Committee (Braidwood), School of Arts (Bungendore), Jupiter Wind Farm Consultative Committee (Tarago / Mulloon), Joint Regional Planning Panel (for State significant developments), South East Region Noxious Weeds Committee (across the Council area), Heritage Advisory Committee (across the Council area).

This work demonstrates my commitment to a range of communities – not just my own. This assists me to have a balanced view and makes me more readily accessible to residents in a range of areas.

I have been a long term member of Wildcare Queanbeyan where I served as the Reptile Coordinator and am a snake handler and a trainer. This background gives me a unique perspective on the intersection of the natural and built environment. Whilst I was on the Joint Regional Planning Panel I was involved in the assessment of two sand quarries. In this capacity, I was proud to be able to include mitigation strategies for wildlife (e.g. wildlife friendly fencing) and provision to minimise environmental impact (e.g. limiting the excavation area and requiring remediation before they start a new section).

Secondly, I am into classic cars – so I am passionate about roads. I am aware that this is a balancing act across the region to be visible in the work and not just spending money in one area.

My vision is to take the adversarial nature out of local Council.  In my previous role, I strived to engage to have a conversation rather than responding complaints. 

In the long-term I would like to lobby the State to amend legislation away from a ‘lodge and then complain model’. As an example, I can see this working in weeds management. The Environmental Officers in Palerang Council have obtained their drone licenses to do aerial imagery for weeds inspections. I can see this as fitting with GPS data-loggers on weed sprayers (presently used by Council) rolled out to land owners who then upload their data to be cross-references with the aerial imagery.

In this model, Council would work with property owners rather than being the ‘bad guy’ and doing inspections and then telling them what is wrong and requiring compliance.  This model is unfortunately built into much of the legislation that Council administers on behalf of the State – it would take some work but it isn’t impossible.

In my time on Palerang Council I worked hard on my understanding of issues unique to rural areas.  I seek the key issue as being access in the broadest sense.  This is access:

I worked hard on this issue on Palerang Council and will continue to do so if re-elected.

I think the values of the Community Voice Group (Group E) - Community Engagement, a Culture of Service, and Transparent Governance will be to the benefit of all residents.  I have already demonstrated a commitment to these values in my previous broad engagement, commitment to the work required in the role of Councillor, and transparency of the work and will continue to do so if elected.