Cr Verity Greenwood – Liberal

I regard myself as very privileged to represent and serve our wonderful community within the Hornsby Shire. I appreciate Hornsby Shire’s rural and urban environment, local businesses, amenities and importantly, the community within it. In my term I will strongly advocate for community consultation and engagement. I will support Council initiatives to enhance delivery of environmental, economic and community benefits to ensure Hornsby thrives as a resilient and sustainable community.

In my first term of Council, I have three top priorities which are of equal importance:

• Community wellbeing and connectiveness is an important priority. Focussing on community consultation and engagement between community stakeholders and the Council. Enhancing infrastructure to ensure community safety and mobility, supporting cultural and sporting interests and participation whilst providing access to resources that will strengthen community resilience.
• Caretaking our unique environment is a passionate priority. Preserving and conserving our heritage and natural environment, to ensure both our present and future generations enjoy the rural amenities that makes Hornsby Shire so unique. Fighting against overdevelopment whilst at the same time being sympathetic to the concerns and needs of community stakeholders and the delicate balancing of those needs whilst preserving our environment.
• The principles of good governance and strong financial management of our assets and resources will always be foremost in any decision-making. As an active contributing member of the Council, working collegially with Council staff to ensure my decisions are responsibly well considered and made without fear or favour.

Background:

• Verity moved into Galston 26 years ago, after previously living in Castle Hill. She is a married mother of five adult children, and all attended school in the Hornsby Shire. Verity is a former NSW Police Detective Sergeant with a PhD and qualifications in law, geography, resource and environmental management.
• Verity is an academic and a legal and fraud education consultant.  In each of her roles as the voluntary Chairperson, Hornsby Retired and Former Police Association; Vice-President, ACFE Sydney Chapter; and Member of the Board of Veteran Centre Australia, she provides governance oversight of projects such as new services, models of care and business development.
• Verity enhanced her knowledge of the Hornsby Shire when she designed a sustainable social indicator database as Project Officer, Northern Area Health.
• Verity is known for her previous volunteer roles as a Convener of the Galston Open Gardens, as a member of the Galston Springfest Committee and as a founding member of the Fagan Park Eco-Garden Steering Committee. A recipient of the National Trust EnergyAustralia Heritage Award, Verity has also been a volunteer organiser of a number of tree planting projects.