Bob Jones

Your genuine community candidate for the Hurstville Ward

IMG_0513.JPG

Bob will stand up for the residents of Hurstville Ward, who have been totally neglected over the past 5 years in this amalgamated Council.

If elected to Council Bob will endeavour for Hurstville Ward to receive a fair and equitable share of Council’s budget for improved infrastructure and essential services.

 

Meet Bob

Bob was born and bred in the St George area and has been involved in Local Government his whole career, spanning over 50 years. 30 of those years were at Kogarah Council where Bob rose through the ranks from a junior to Acting General Manager. He has extensive experience in all aspects of Local Government. For the past 20 years Bob has worked in private enterprise in planning.

During Bob’s time as a senior officer at Kogarah Council, he was part of the team responsible for having the Council become debt free and as a result the Council was able to perform its complete works programme and pay staff and wages without borrowings. 

Bob has been appalled at the financial management of the current Council, where it has now applied to IPART to raise the rate percentile from July 2021, which will lead to massive increases in rates for many of the Hurstville Ward residents and small business owners.

Bob has seen the Council employ external Consultant after external Consultant for many issues resulting in enormous overspending. With his Local Government experience Bob understands that Council Officers can just as easily provide the proper planning and expertise for our services equally or better than Private Consultants creating massive savings for Council.

Bob believes change is needed at Georges River Council to achieve better outcomes for the community.

 
 

Watch this video to see why Bob is standing is candidate in the Hurstville ward.

The issues I will fight for in Hurstville Ward

 
Hurstville Unit Block

More affordable rates system

The residents and small business owners within the Hurstville Ward are bracing for a massive rate increase in July this year. Home unit owners will see their rates double, while small business owners in the Hurstville CBD will see a massive 300% increase. Small business owners in Beverly Hills and Kingsgrove will also see their rates double.

Bob will fight for Council expenditure on external Consultants to be slashed and a more streamlined management team so that rates in the Hurstville Ward will be more manageable.

No Beverley Park Golf Course Fence

No sell-off of public land and assets

In 2020 Councillors agreed to give the General Manager of Georges River Council the authority to dispose of a number of Council-owned properties, which included the vacant green space at 50 Hodge St, Hurstville, as well as a number of public car parks servicing local shopping centres.

With the appropriate vision, the open space at 50 Hodge St could have been retained and enhanced by Georges River Council for the broader benefit of the community.

Instead it was sold to plug Councils bottom line and burgeoning budget deficit.

Bob does not believe that selling Council assets is the way to improve the budget position. Once a public asset is sold, it is lost forever. Bob will fight for Council to focus on core Council services first and a reduction in the reliance of external consultants to reduce expenditure.

Beverly Hills

Revitalise Beverly Hills shopping precinct.

The Beverly Hills shopping precinct is in desperate need of revitalisation now. Since amalgamation there has been little investment in the amenity of Beverly Hills by Georges River Council.

Bob will advocate for innovative concepts to make the shopping precinct a desirable destination for shoppers and diners alike, to provide immediate benefit and revitalisation to the shopping centre.

The Beverly Hills Master Plan, prepared by private consultants, has long-term plans to revitalise Beverly Hills, which is based on the premise of increasing densities, however it includes no plans for the immediate revitalisation of the shopping precinct.

Read More about the Beverly Hills Master Plan.

The Beverly Hills Master Plan has long-term plans which will only bring benefits to the residents and ratepayers of Beverly Hills in 10-20 years time. Beverly Hills needs investment now. 

Sign our petition to stop mega-developments being pushed through during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leader article: Plea for Planning Minister to delay Mortdale and Beverly Hills Masterplans

 
 

Meet our candidates