New community group set to launch

Umina Beach resident Dawa Smith has launched a new community group – We the People.

Having spent all of her life on the Central Coast, Smith has watched rents in the region rise beyond many people’s capacity, and electricity bills and grocery bills increase manifold.

Working in a small business and hearing customers talk about their concerns over what the government is doing or not doing, she felt compelled to set up the community group.

Its aim is to support the community to meet and engage with local, state and federal representatives.

“When residents are asked about what we should do with our concerns in society, many of us don’t have a clue,” Smith said.

“It doesn’t add up that our role as citizens in a democracy isn’t taught to us in school.”

As the mother of a seven-year old child who is now going through school herself, Smith feels that the journey to finding answers is a collective act.

“Studying alone, I think that I am less likely to find out what is happening right now in my community, to my local environment or to custodians’ land,” she said.

“Studying alone might not tell me what is happening to the distribution of wealth and access rights in my country, or the role that Australia is playing on the global stage.

“I need to learn about these things with my community – we all do.”

We The People will hold a community forum on Sunday, March 16, at Kincumber.

“The forum will feature talks and Q&A on a range of topics high on the priority list for residents,” Smith said.

“It will also look at how we can amplify our voices as a community to use preferential voting to our advantage for any upcoming election.

“This event is about having residents share our information, our questions and our answers on just a few issues.

“It is my hope that we will leave the forum at the end as citizens who are more resourced and empowered to be effective with our vote and our voices in our community and our country.”

The event will take place between 2pm and 4pm at Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre, 20-22 Kincumber St, and is free and open to the public.

Central Coast Councillors Jane Smith and Corinne Lamont will be among the guest speakers, along with Abigail Boyd MP, Custodian Renee Sales and local resident Ihab Soltan.