23 Feb 2023

Penny Pedersen, Labor for Lane Cove

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What is your name, political party and electorate?

Penny Pedersen. Labor. Lane Cove.

Tell us about your background both personally and professionally

I have lived in in East Ryde with my husband and our two teenage boys for 16 years.

I studied theatre (UNSW) then worked in film, television, Theatre, Education, production, freelance journalism and radio (regular panelist on ABC radio; weekly arts music program at FM99.3 for over a decade) and board director at Griffin Theatre and Northside Radio.

I am passionate about the arts, climate action and the environment. I’m NSW organiser for The Labor environment action network (LEAN); a certified wildlife rescuer and drive the cheapest fully electric vehicle on the market.

I’m a Ryde Councillor (elected 2017) and have work hard for my community (long list) I’ve also held some great roles representing our region as :

  • Vice President – NSROC,
  • Vice chair – Parramatta river catchment group
  • Board director – Local Government LGNSW and Australian LG womens association, Ryde/Hunters Hill DV committee.
  • Delegate to NSW Music festival roundtable.

What are some things you love about your electorate?

I know how lucky we are to live in close proximity to beautiful waterways and urban bushland. Our area hosts habitat for some of Australias most beautiful birds and native animals.
I love the different communities across the electorate and their passion for conservation, climate action and open space. We see them out exercising and enjoying the outdoors every day.

What do you believe are the 3 main issues affecting your electorate and why?

  1. Unsustainable development that doesn’t deliver more affordable housing or rentals; with lagging delivery of infrastructure to support the increasing population: i.e: traffic, transport, schools.
  2. Tree canopy loss and sediment control in our waterways.
  3. Unreliable transport; unsafe conditions in hospitals and teacher shortages.

What are the 3 key things you plan to achieve if elected?

If labor is elected.

1. We will stop privatisation and fix the transport mess.

2. De-casualise our teachers and reduce the admin they have to do as well as abolishing the wage cap.

3. Introduce minimum and enforceable safe staffing levels in public hospitals.

Personally:

  1. A commitment to conserving open space, providing funding for works to maintain natural open spaces, protect and increase tree canopy, biodiversity and additional envirosensitive access to waterways across the electorate. (Details to follow)

  2. Commitment to provide more reliable transport; connective routes and a to provide safe pedestrian access in small business centres (Details to follow)

  3. I am committed to helping provide more community batteries, more EV charging and incentives for household electrification helping to reduce community emissions.

What about your long term vision for the area?

I would like to see decent upgrades to our public schools and hospitals as well as safer conditions for patients and health workers.

When developments are approved I would like to see more sustainably built, diverse affordable dwellings for ‘downsizers’, new home buyers and for rentals. I would like to see 7 star green developments and homes/units fully electrified with rooftop solar, EV charging and access to community batteries.

I would like to see more cooling tree lined streets and water sensitive urban design with permeable surfaces to reduce sediment in rivers, runoff and flooding. I would like to see a vast network for active transport so people can cycle to school/work and a reliable public transport network to keep cars off our roads.

I would like Sydney water to stay in public hands to protect our waterways from bacteria and keep waters usage prices from going up.