Okay, moving on from that, I believe that tonight has presented itself as an opportunity to begin a new chapter. As councillors, we all know that we must work as one and do our best for the Hawkesbury that we all live in and that we all love. Coming from different backgrounds and experiences, it is no secret that we have a wide span of views on how this can be done. Since being elected here myself in 2016, there have been some amazing moments of community wins, and some moments where the difference of opinion has been exceptionally obvious. I think many of us enter public life because we want to see outcomes. I know outcomes is the word that I always use when anyone asks me why I do this job.
Well, to me, not a job but a vocation. But there can be no doubts that community representation, or politics for want of a better word, has its pits and has its peaks. It has its highs and it has its lows, depending on the community mood and depending on what you stand for. It can be brutal, painful and very hurtful at times. Anyone who knows me knows that I have certainly experienced both over the years: the heartbreak and the exhilaration. As has everyone in this chamber, as have both our local state and federal members. All their paths to the current status quo have been filled with losses and derailments, but every now and then comes the silver lining, the chance to do something that makes other people's lives better.
What never changes, though, is the ability to get up again after a bad day with the hope and optimism that today will be a good day. And as someone very wise recently said to me, and actually quoted it to me again this evening, Yesterday is gone, but today is here, and it now means that you can work for a better tomorrow, Mr Sheather. However, tonight we must view the future with a mindset to reset. We have all grown and learned so much since our time in this chamber, not always getting it right. We are human beings after all, but knowing that we have chosen to be here because we are committed and passionate about the Hawkesbury. This is why, moving forward, we must work together with kindness, cooperation and compassion, whilst balancing our own personal convictions.
We must show the community that the only interests we have at heart are theirs, and that we will be diligent and motivated in our determination to do our very best. It is, after all, our civic duty to show up and stand up where it matters. One of the first tasks I will do as Mayor is invite each councillor to a one-on-one meeting to discuss their goals and desires for the Hawkesbury. I will then set a date, very soon, for the 12 of us to meet to ascertain projects and wish lists that we can work on as a group, with the intent to see real, positive and tangible change in the Hawkesbury. And I want that meeting of 12 to become a regular monthly agenda item. When it comes to briefings and workshops, I want all 12 councillors to take turns chairing these sessions, showcasing that we are all leaders and that we can probably all learn something from each other if we stop, pause, listen and work with the fundamental foundation of respect for each other.
There is no doubt that our community is in precarious times. Bushfires, COVID and repeated floods have worn us all down and we are exhausted. We also have the threat of another flood. Yes, it is real. As 12 leaders, we must be doing all we can to be loud and strong advocates for our community to the higher levels of government who have the financial capacity to deliver the social, economic and infrastructure benefits that the Hawkesbury needs and deserves. Leading into this, as your new Mayor, I will be seeking briefings and updates from the relevant authorities so that we are as prepared as we can be. Personally, I have a range of initiatives that I would like to see occur in the Hawkesbury, mostly around tourism, employment opportunity and infrastructure upgrades.
We must protect our rural amenity, but that also does not mean that nothing ever changes. We must be an ideas LGA, an innovative LGA, a connected LGA, an inclusive LGA, and one that wants to balance all of our key objectives as per our Community Strategic Plan. We need vision, long-term goals and projects that also create income to reinvest into better services. We must continue to support our local small businesses, as I have openly done through Shop Small, and ensure that they are valued and listened to when in need. I will be seeking an update on the status of our road repairs, so everyone listening has got my commitment to that, and communicate in due course about our schedule to get this done.
I know this is something that is pressing to many, and I will do my best to see it through. As Mayor, I also intend to shine a brighter light on something that I am deeply passionate about, which is using my voice to make the online world a safer place. It is no secret that myself and others have sustained horrific and false online bullying from others. It should not be a given consequence of putting your hand up simply to serve your community to have that happen to you. As a mum of three young children, I do not want my kids, or in fact any kids, growing up in an online world where people can say or write whatever they want without consequences. We must call it and the perpetrators out. In an age where we are focused on the mental health of everyone, this is the last thing that people should be engaging in.
It is usually from our learned experiences that passions evolve, and this is now one of mine. I have a plan and I will be working on it immediately. Lastly, I want to reiterate my commitment to the Hawkesbury. As a local who has lived here almost my whole life, had my kids across the road at that very hospital just there, lived on the RAAF base, and has spent most of my adult life advocating for this community, whether as an elected representative, in Rotary, on the hospital board, or in the CWA, I am pleased to be able to do so now with a louder voice. I am proud of what has been delivered so far and cannot wait to see what the future holds. I intend to be a full-time Mayor, in the Chambers daily, to attend to the needs of this community.
I want everyone to know that my door will be open for you to meet with me, that I will reply to your correspondence and usually reply to your texts at all hours of the night, just because I rarely have my phone out of my hand. I am usually out and about at the shops or at Saturday sports, kids in tow, doing all the usual local things, so please feel free to come up to me and say hi whenever you see me. I will do my best to keep you informed via social media channels and mostly, I vow to do my very best for you in the most professional and collaborative way possible. Lastly, I would like to thank Matt, my kids, my family and my very dear friends for their continued support throughout the years.
It isn't easy for them, seeing some of the aspects that can come with this territory. I would like to thank the community for their vote in me at the December 2021 council elections, and again my colleagues here tonight. I look forward to working more directly with you all and, of course, in conjunction with our Deputy Mayor Councillor Calvert, our General Manager and our staff. Thank you very much.
