What is your name, political party and electorate?
Natalie Ng, Community Champions, Epping Ward of City of Parramatta LGA
Will you be running for Mayor and if so why?
No, as Parramatta does not have a popularly elected mayor. The mayor will be chosen by the chamber after the election.
Tell us about your background both personally and professionally
I’m a local, first moving to the ward in 2008. I’m raising my 3 boys here, and I’m passionate about improving my local area. I’ve got a proven track record of delivering for the community, spearheading the campaign to upgrade Epping West Public School and open Ngarala PS. I’ve worked with Council on traffic improvements around several schools, am the founding President of Ngarala Public School P&C Association and I’m humbled to be nominated for NSW Volunteer of the Year 2024 for my decade-long service to North West Sydney Multiple Birth Association. My professional background is in leadership coaching, change management and process improvement, and I’ve also got a Masters degree in Adult Learning. This experience means I’m well-versed in consulting with stakeholders and making evidence based decisions, skills that are sorely needed in our Council chamber. In 2022, I was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune condition called Multifocal Motor Neuropathy, which affects the muscles in my hands and feet, and means I face a lifetime of progressive disability. This has made me even more determined to do the best I can for my local community and make the most of every day.
What are some things you love about your electorate?
I love our multicultural community, our pockets of beautiful heritage buildings and our natural green spaces like Edna Hunt Sanctuary.
What do you believe are the 3 main issues affecting your electorate and why?
The biggest issue in Epping Ward for the next 10 years will be development – the west side of Epping station is due for some major planning proposals thanks to state government legislation, and we’re seeing many duplexes pop up all over the ward. True community-centred development that puts resident amenity before profits but is still commercially viable is a tricky balance that can only be achieved by having a strong independent not beholden not major party politics in the chamber. Development also has a detrimental impact on traffic, so finding solutions to some of our local bottlenecks is crucial. I also see transparency in decision making as an issue across the LGA, we’ve seen Council spend money on sponsoring the Parramatta Eels without providing accountability to the community, when we’re years behind on basic things like footpaths and park upgrades.
What are the 3 key things you plan to achieve if elected?
Community Champions aims to improve the standard of representation by being active in our community, keeping you informed, responding to feedback, and making transparent, evidence-based decisions in the best interests of residents. I am strongly focused on making sure Council does the ‘basics’ really well, from keeping our town centres clean and managing household waste, to quickly filling potholes and delivering consistently great customer service. If elected, 3 key things I will work to deliver are:
- Community infrastructure that keeps pace with our rapidly growing population, including multi-functional open spaces
- Safer roads, particularly around our local schools and shopping precincts
- A vibrant neighbourhood where residents can shop, eat and play without having to jump in their car
What about your long term vision for the area?
I see Epping Ward as a vibrant community where opportunities to come together actually exist; when council events like NYE and National Tree Day are actually held in the Ward. For a while now, Epping has been identified as having the potential to be a ‘second CBD’ to Parramatta but not much is being done about it, we’re more like the ‘second cousin’ at the moment! When I first told a friend I was running, she sent me a clip from Triple M radio’s Rush Hour show talking about the “least sexy” suburbs in Sydney and guess which suburb starred? And the best part for me – the only highlight of the suburb they could point to was “Epping Mall” and that’s in Epping Victoria! So I’d really like to see a revitalised CBD that’s got shops people want to shop at, restaurants people want to eat at; and all of that helps ease traffic because people have things to do and services to access where they live, they don’t have to jump in their cars and drive to somewhere else to access those things. If we don’t provide that vibrancy, we risk becoming a dormitory suburb where people come to to sleep and that’s about it! It’s important to remember the ward isn’t just Epping either, improved transport and services for suburbs like Carlingford and Dundas Valley is also crucial.
- Website: https://communitychampions.au
- Email: natalie@communitychampions.au
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/natalieng.communitychampions/
- Instagram: natalieng_communitychampions