By her own admission, Leah Ferrrara did not join Goulburn Mulwaree Council with high ideals but wanted to learn about the nuts and bolts.
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Beautifying green space and a bent for sustainability were particular interests but the past four years has taught her much more.
"When I went in I was a bit naive and didn't know what to expect," she said.
"But I've learnt so much about how budgets work, the development application process, which I'm still learning and is one of the hardest things, and how to talk and listen to people."
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The 30-year-old Greens member of the past 12 years was one of the youngest concillors to serve on Goulburn Mulwaree Council, alongside Sam Rowland. She credits Mayor Bob Kirk, Deputy Mayor Peter Walker and general manager Warwick Bennett with helping her find her feet.
Now standing for a second term, Cr Ferrara says she wants to finish things started in the first four years.
Major projects like the Performing Arts Centre, Aquatic Centre and regional hockey complex redevelopments are well underway. A sustainability action plan is also in place, in part guiding the council's response to climate change.
"I think we've come a long way on sustainability but we need to go further," she said.
"We've done small things like our tree planting initiative, we have solar panels going up on buildings and the wastewater plant at Marulan and we're more conscious of climate action and global warming.
"I think we need to go a step further and really address the Local Environmental Plan and development control plan around housing because there's too much congestion in development these days and it's just not sustainable."
Specifically, Cr Ferrara said solar panels could be mandated, along with designs to maximise their energy and reduce electricity bills. Water tanks were also an option.
She believed climate change was challenging councils, whether through unseasonal snow that damaged the aquatic centre roof and battens in 2019, or extensive infrastructure damage from heavier than usual rain.
"Flooding, fire and climate change in general will put a lot of pressure on councils," she said.
"They need to hit the ground running and respond."
With a sustainability action working party underway, Cr Ferrara says momentum is building but the community also needs to jump on board.
In a similar vein she is pleased that Goulburn Mulwaree Council is strongly opposing Veolia's waste to energy proposal at Tarago, describing it as "a terrible thing" for the community and waste management generally.
On other fronts, the Bunnings team leader and Tirrannaville resident said she had particularly enjoyed attending outreach meetings in the towns and villages and they mustn't be forgotten. She was a member of the Bungonia discretionary fund working party.
"The word 'neglect' gets thrown around a lot in regard to the rural areas," she said.
"I don't agree with that but we could do more for them in perhaps helping them with grant applications. The discretionary fund is a great initiative and I hope that continues for a very long time. It's great that we have the working parties now to decide where that money goes.
"I think the council does need more rural representation but you can't force people to run."
Cr Ferrara said if elected, she hoped to guide other newcomers, and work as a team.
She had no ambitions to pursue her politics further.
"Local council is where I want to be because I can give back to my community. I can be in the heart of where I live and grew up and that's the most rewarding thing about being on the council," she said.
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