Physicist Dr Matt Palmer will be the Greens’ lead candidate for Parramatta’s Epping Ward in the September 4 council elections. Having lived in one of Epping’s many recently built apartment blocks for the past three years, Matt understands the issues facing local residents.
“I am concerned to see many more residential developments planned in the area, in the absence of an accompanying plan for improving the subsequent traffic and school overcrowding,” Matt says. “In Epping, we need to keep these developments in check. The vision for Epping should be of a friendly, green, airy suburb that is attractive and welcoming to visitors and residents alike, and somewhere healthy for kids to grow up. We can’t lose this vision of Epping to a cold array of towers, gridlocked traffic, and overcrowded schools.”
The Greens’ other lead candidates for the City of Parramatta Council elections are Councillor Phil Bradley, Franceska Strano and Greg Edwards. “Like my Greens running mates Phil, Franceska and Greg, I am proud that the Greens do not accept corporate or union donations,” Matt says. “We work for one constituency: the people of the wards and the city where we live. Matt, who teaches at NYU Sydney and Macquarie University, is a co-convenor of the Greens NSW Climate Action Working Group. “There is a lot that can and should be done at the local level, from pushing for green, low energy use standards in new developments, to electric vehicle infrastructure, to placement of solar panels on buildings, to retaining existing mature trees.”
Matt has also been strata secretary of his apartment building for the three years he has lived there. “I am deeply aware of the issues of weak building standards and regulation causing poor liveability. If the plan is for more of the population to be living in apartments, there should be a good living standard when doing so.” Parramatta Greens co-convenors Ernest Jilg and Judy Greenwood and Ryde-Epping Greens convenor Cosmin Luca officially announced Matt as the lead candidate for Epping Ward, on on Saturday, 20th February, 2021. Matt’s campaign will be a joint effort between the two neighbouring Greens groups. “I look forward to meeting and hearing from the residents of Epping Ward about what concerns them in our suburb, and to represent them and fight for Epping on Parramatta Council,” Matt says.