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Tania Brown - Wollongong
2024 New South Wales Mayoral Elections - Mayor Candidate - September, 14, 2024
Electorate of Wollongong - Labor - Australia
Who is Tania Brown?
Tania Brown is a lifelong resident of Wollongong, having grown up in Unanderra and now residing in Wollongong. She has raised her family in the area and works at the local University of Wollongong.
Council Service:
Tania Brown has served as a Labor Councillor for Ward 2 on Wollongong City Council since 2017 and was re-elected in 2021. She has been the Deputy Lord Mayor since 2019.
Advocacy and Initiatives:
As a Councillor, Brown has fought for community initiatives, including the establishment of a taskforce for economic recovery post-COVID, advocating for the decentralization of government jobs from Sydney, promoting equality and inclusion, and highlighting the need for more parking at popular beaches.
University of Wollongong:
Brown has been working at the University of Wollongong since 2009, where she ran an infrastructure research centre for 13 years.
Policy Advisor:
Prior to joining the University, she spent 13 years working as a Senior Ministerial Policy Advisor for State and Federal Governments.
Board Memberships:
Brown has served as Chair of Destination Wollongong and is now a life member. She is also an active member of the Illawarra community, participating on the Board of Illawarra District Rugby League Club Limited.
She has previously served on the Boards of the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre and the Illawarra Sports Stadium Ltd.
Community Involvement:
Brown has been a member of the Labor Party since she was 18 years old. She is also a passionate supporter of the Illawarra Hawks and has a strong interest in Broadway.
Economic Revitalization:
Brown and the Labor team are committed to revitalizing Wollongong's economy and creating local jobs. Their plan includes waiving outdoor dining fees, doubling the budget for live music and community events, bringing major events to the city, supporting the hydrogen industry, ensuring Council buys from local suppliers, and reducing red tape.
Suburban Investment:
Labor aims to invest in suburbs by building more footpaths, installing more playgrounds, and spending extra funds on change rooms and amenities at local sports fields. Specific projects include building new libraries and community centres in Helensburgh and Warrawong, progressing the Bellambi Foreshore Master Plan, and fast-tracking new toilets at Brighton Lawn.
Protecting Lifestyle:
Labor opposes over-development, aims to protect the local environment, plans to plant more trees, and invest in sustainable transport. They have also saved the Gong Shuttle and introduced a free hydrogen-powered shuttle bus for southern suburbs.
Fair Share Advocacy:
Brown emphasizes the need for a Lord Mayor and Labor team who will fight for Wollongong's fair share of resources from Liberal Governments in Sydney and Canberra. Key priorities include securing additional on/off ramps at Dapto.
Tania Brown's dedication to her community, professional experience, and proactive initiatives reflect her commitment to improving the quality of life for residents in Wollongong. Her leadership aims to foster economic growth, enhance suburban infrastructure, and protect the region's lifestyle and environment.
What are Tania Brown's Political Values?
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) aligns itself with democratic socialist principles, aiming for the socialisation of key industries to mitigate exploitation and promote fairness, a goal enshrined in its constitution since 1921. However, its approach has evolved to accommodate a competitive private sector and the right to private ownership, with notable shifts from nationalisation efforts in the 1940s to privatising industries like aviation and banking in recent years.
The ALP is divided into two main factions, the Labor Left, advocating for democratic socialism, and the Labor Right, supporting social democracy. These factions, further fragmented into state-based groups, reflect the party's broad spectrum of socio-economic ideologies.
Additionally, the ALP maintains strong ties with trade unions, which align with either faction, influencing the party's policies and directions towards championing social justice and equitable economic management.
Climate Change:
The ALP is committed to an emissions reduction target of 43% below 2005 levels by 2030. The party endorses the Paris Agreement to keep global warming well below two degrees Celsius.
They aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The ALP’s approach to climate change is more ambitious and in line with COP26.
Housing:
The ALP has outlined a new housing agenda with the ‘National Housing Accord’, ‘the Housing Australia Future Fund’ (HAFF), and the 'National Housing and Homelessness Plan'. They have pledged a $10 billion housing fund to build 30,000 affordable homes.
The Housing Australia Future Fund will invest the $10 billion and then spend the earnings, up to $500 million a year, on affordable and social housing projects. Over the first five years, the fund aims to build 20,000 social housing properties, with 4,000 of those to be allocated for women and children fleeing domestic violence, and for older women on low incomes at risk of homelessness.
Another 10,000 affordable housing properties would be made available for frontline workers.
Defence:
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) focuses on defence with three core aspects. The US alliance, active UN participation, and regional engagement.
They've pledged to maintain defence spending at 2% of GDP, back the bolstering of Australia's defence industry, though they've critiqued the goal of being a top-10 defence exporter as exaggerated. The ALP also supports the AUKUS agreement, marking a major change by endorsing plans for Australia to obtain nuclear-powered submarines.
Immigration:
The ALP’s immigration policy is designed to respond to falling workplace participation due to an aging population and the demand for higher skill levels and mobility. They plan to use Australia’s skilled migration program to meet these challenges.
The ALP’s immigration planning framework will take into account net overseas migration and its impact on employment and training for Australian residents. In 2022, the ALP government announced an increase in the permanent Migration Program to 195,000 places for 2022–23, up from 160,000 places set in the March 2022–23 Budget.
Inflation:
The ALP’s approach to inflation is to help Australians with the cost of living, without adding pressure to inflation. They are working to support Australians with the cost of living with cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines, extended paid parental leave, energy bill relief, and fee-free TAFE.
They are also investing record amounts into Medicare and bulk billing, building new homes, investing in affordable housing, making renting fairer, tackling climate change by legislating to reduce emissions, and managing the economy and creating jobs in challenging times.
