Did you know that even before I put my hand up for council, I played a key role in delivering transformative projects like the Northern Aquatic and Community Hub in Norlane?
I was involved in the original funding pitches to both State and Federal Governments, and provided ongoing consultation throughout the construction of its theatre, healthcare, and aquatic facilities.
01 / What that involvedThe unglamorous middle.
Figure 01 · From pitch to opening
Four stages, most of them invisible.
Anyone can turn up to a ribbon-cutting. The work that decides whether a building is any good happens years earlier, in rooms with no cameras in them.— David Greenwood OAM
02 / What I want for LaraThree specific things.
Now, just imagine what we could achieve in Lara with a councillor dedicated to the community.
Figure 02 · The Lara list
Not vague ambition. Named projects.
| Project | Why |
|---|---|
| Better facilities for the Lara Giants | A growing club in a growing township, competing with facilities that haven't kept pace. Club infrastructure is community infrastructure. |
| Revitalising Lara Pool | A local pool is a summer lifeline, a learn-to-swim venue and a social hub. It should not require a drive to Norlane or Geelong. |
| A hub where community groups can thrive | Affordable, bookable, flexible space with equitable support for the groups that use it — the thing I argue for constantly in relation to gardens, arts groups and volunteer organisations. |
These connect directly to the budget argument: the You Yangs Ward received under 1 per cent of this year's capital works program. These are the sorts of projects that share of the budget cannot fund.
03 / Why independent matters hereSaid plainly.
As a true local independent, I pledge to stand up to political parties and fight for the North.
I have never been a member of any political party, have never accepted party funding or candidate support, and have no intention of starting. That's set out in full on the Transparency page, along with the signed pledge that binds it.
The relevance is simple: when a ward's needs conflict with a party's regional positioning, an independent has nothing to weigh against the ward.
04 / The honest versionWhat I'm actually claiming.
I want to be careful here, because track-record claims are exactly where candidates overreach.
I did not build the Norlane hub. The City of Greater Geelong delivered it, with State and Federal funding, and a great many people worked on it. What I did was help make the funding case, sit in the consultation rooms, argue for what went inside it, and stay involved through the build — and I've stayed involved since, including writing to Council when its operations began falling short.
That's the claim. It's a real one, and it's the reason I think I'd be useful at a council table rather than just enthusiastic about being at one.
Together, we can build a future where our community has access to the facilities and opportunities it deserves.
What facility does Lara most need? The pool, the club rooms, a community hub, something I haven't listed? I'd genuinely like the ward's own priority order rather than mine. Email david@centrestage.org.au with "Facilities" in the subject.
