Political newcomer Hollie McLean has declared she is “ready to do the work” as she lead’s Labor’s South Ward ticket in Saturday’s Local Government Election.
McLean has lived in Penrith for the majority of her life and said that policy making is something she has always been interested in.
“My passion isn’t for politics; my passion is for good policy and how do you get the chance to make good policy? It’s being at the tables policy is made,” McLean said.
“So, because of that I’m here and I’m passionate about being involved, not just about me having a seat at the table but having people at the table that want the best outcomes for the community, whether that’s at a Penrith level or a New South Wales level or an Australia level.”
Penrith, in McLean’s opinion, is being primed for a revolutionary time and she is excited to be working towards a position where she can make real impact on her community.
“I think this is such an exciting time to have the chance to be involved in the decisions that are being made about the future of Penrith,,” McLean said.
“I can’t think of a more exciting place to be in Australia with the airport opening up, all the new development that’s happening…
“What a time to be able to contribute to the way that we want Penrith to be. I love it here, I want it to be the kind of place my son can grow up and not want to move anywhere else [and] not have to move anywhere else to find the opportunities that he wants to pursue.”
Throughout her campaign and what might be a four-year City Councillor term, McLean is promising to always advocate in the best interest of the community.
“What I’m really standing for is to be the voice of our community and to work so hard over the next four years to play that out,” McLean said.
“I know that sometimes things are a bit contentious and not everyone is going to be happy all the time but I promise to always listen and to really get my head around all the things that are important.”
McLean shared that if elected to Council she hopes to be a strong advocate for better disability access within the community.
“One of the things that I’m really passionate about is disability access,” McLean said.
“I know we’ve got lots of laws around disability access to spaces – we have to have ramps and people have to be able to get into spaces but I’m passionate about equity of experience as well.
“So, in our spaces how do we make sure that… there are hearing loops for people that need them. How do we make sure there are sensory safe spaces. How do we make sure that whatever people’s needs are they feel like there are spaces open to them.
“One of the programs that I’m aware of that I’m hoping I’m going to be able to do something about is the sunflower lanyard for people with disabilities program.”
McLean has been out in the community campaigning but has made it clear that talking to the community doesn’t stop on election day.
“If we’re elected, that comes with a really huge responsibility to stay engaged and stay out in the community,” McLean said.
“The other thing I really want people to know is how broad the remit of Council is and that I’m actually really interested in exploring so many of those things as it is appropriate as well as of course doing all the right things around infrastructure, new development, rubbish, garden maintenance, all of those things but also how do we make Penrith a home that we welcome people into and people feel like they want to make a home,” McLean said.
McLean is stepping into the shoes of former Mayor Karen McKeown, who is not recontesting her spot on Council after being elected as the State Member for Penrith at last year’s State Election.
The Local Government Election will be held this Saturday, September 14.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.