Gareth Ward
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Councillor Gareth James Ward J.P was elected to Shoalhaven City Council on March 27, 2004 to represent the electorate of First Ward which takes in the northern suburbs of Shoalhaven City including Bomaderry, North Nowra, Cambewarra, West Cambewarra, Shoalhaven Heads, Berry, Meroo Meadow, Falls Creek, Tomerong, West Nowra, Kangaroo Valley, Burrier, Coolangatta, Broughton Vale and Broughton Creek.
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[edit] History with Shoalhaven City Council
Elected as an Independent at the age of 22, Gareth is the youngest member of Shoalhaven City Council by more than a decade. He ran for Mayor at the last election and placed 5th out of 19 candidates behind fellow Councillor Paul Green, former Community Action Councillor Pam Arnold, Brian Parry and the current Mayor Greg Watson.
Gareth is a member of numerous Council committees including:
Policy and Planning Committee Development Committee The Shoalhaven Sports Board The Shoalhaven Traffic Committee The Public Transport Working Party The Festivals Working Party The Crown Reserves, Community and Commercial Operations Committee The Shoalhaven Water Strategic Review Committee The Youth Advisory Committee The Aboriginal Advisory Committee The Industrial Development and Employment Committee The Diary Industry Sub-Committee The Multi-Purpose Cultural Convention Centre Sub Committee
Gareth is also a delegate to the NSW Local Government Association and the Australian Local Government Association.
Gareth is a member of the NSW Local Government Association Social Issues Working Party and Library and Infomation Services Reference Group.
[edit] Council Career
Gareth Ward is seen as the most likely opponent of sitting Mayor Clr Greg Watson who has been on Council since the 21st of September 1974. Clr Watson has been Mayor for 15 years on inconsistent occasions since his election in 1974.
Gareth Ward would accurately be described as pro-development but has lead the campaign to reform Development Control Plan 100 in order to expand the minimum road width and floor space ratio to prevent over-development in the Shoalhaven.
Gareth has been responsible for a number of Council projects including:
• $23.5 Multi Purpose, Cultural Convention Centre • Shoalhaven City Council’s Water Tank Subsidy • Extension of public pool opening hours • Opening of Burrill Lake • Pioneered the Ulladulla Harbour Working Party • Foreshore upgrades in Shoalhaven Heads worth over $150,000 • Fought to exempt Boy Scouts and Girl Guides from paying rates on property owned by their organisations • Battled the State Government over cuts to Public Transport and South Coast Rail • Fought against local ‘Green Groups’ on the North Nowra Link Road • Moved in Council to restrict commercial fishing zones on the Shoalhaven River in order to support local commercial fishers and recreational fishers.
[edit] Community Activity
Involved in many community activities, Gareth is a supporter of the Bomaderry Swamp Rats football club, his local Bushcare Group and is the Membership Officer and Public Speaking Coordinator for Berry Apex Club.
An Anglican, Gareth attends St. Stephen's Church in Bomaderry.
[edit] Employment in politics
Gareth has worked for a number of politicians including NSW Senator John Winston Tierney (Political Advisor), Shelley Hancock MP (Electorate Officer) and the Hon. Don Harwin MLC (Electoral Assistant). He also spent a short time working for the Liberal Party’s fundraising arm – the Millennium Forum Project.
[edit] An Independent Councillor but Member of the NSW Liberals
Gareth is a Member of the Liberal Party of Australia and has served in many positions within the Party. Currently he is President of Shoalhaven Young Liberals, Secretary of the South Coast SEC and Gilmore FEC. Gareth is a member of the Party’s State Executive and is a delegate to State Council which is the governing body of the NSW Division. Gareth is also a delegate to Young Liberal Council which is the governing body of the Young Liberal Movement in NSW.
Gareth is a former member of the NSW Young Liberal State Executive where he held the positions of Rural and Regional Development Officer, Membership Officer and Political Officer.
[edit] Student Politics
Gareth was the President of the University of Wollongong Liberal Club from 2000-2003. During that time Gareth was a delegate to the Australian Liberal Students Federation in Sydney in 2001, Brisbane in 2002, Canberra in 2003, Melbourne in 2004 and Adelaide in 2005. Gareth was also President of the Debating Society, Economics Society and Industrial Relations Society whilst at University. He was Vice President of the Australian Union of Jewish Students and a member of the United Nations Society, the Wine Society, the Evangelical Christian Union and the Musical Society.
Whilst on campus Gareth held many key positions including Director of the Wollongong UniCentre (Student Union) from 2002-04, Member of the Commerce Students Representative Board from 2000-2003, Commerce Faculty Board from 2000-2003, Representative on the Commerce Faculty Education Committee in 2001, Member of the Student Association (2000-2005) in many positions including General Secretary (2002), Executive Committee (2002), Constitutional Reform Committee (2002), Delegate to the National Union of Students 2002, 2003, 2004. Member of the National Union of Students National Executive in 2002.
In 2003 Gareth was the Liberal convenor for Liberal delegates to the National Union of Students Conference and delivered the best result at the NUS AGM in Liberal student modern history with Liberals gaining election to ¼ of the seats on National Executive in addition to several Liberal Students gaining seats on the Welfare Committee and Education Committee. The Liberal Student delegation attending NUS in 2002 was the largest ever seen.
During his involvement through NUS, Gareth was a member of the NUS Business Committee in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 (as well as the pre-confernece business committee in 2005). He was the first Liberal to be elected to an Executive Sub-Committee which was the Constitutional Standing Committee of the National Union of Students.
[edit] Personal
According to Gareth, his most memorable moment in life was running the Olympic Torch through Huskisson prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Gareth’s favourite sports are Golf, Swimming and Rowing.
Gareth’s favourite book is the Diary of Anne Frank and John Gorton’s biography.
Gareth attended Bomaderry High School, Bomaderry Primary School and Nowra East Public School.
