My name is Councillor Jon Raven and I would love to be your next Mayor of Logan.
In my arms is Harper, a baby koala being cared for by wildlife volunteers in Jimboomba.
She’s one of 97 koalas and 187 kangaroos rescued in Logan in the last six months.
Those volunteers are dipping into their own pockets to pay for fuel and medical supplies. If elected as Logan Mayor I will support additional funding for volunteer wildlife carers and rescuers.
I have worked closely with Cr Scott Bannan to identify land and funding for the initial stage of a
Wildlife Hospital to be built in Jimboomba.
As Mayor I will make sure that we continue to support this important project and identify a community-based wildlife organisation to operate it.
Wildlife carers have told me this means they would be able to spend more time rescuing native animals,
because they would no longer have to take injured native animals to facilities at Wacol or the
southern Gold Coast.
Given the rapid growth our city is experiencing and the displacement of all kinds of wildlife so that
people can have new houses, this is an important commitment to take care of our furry friends.
It will form part of a larger strategy to protect the pristine areas of our city from development so that
there will always be koalas in Logan.
Not everything is as cute as a koala though, and I know that hooning is a major issue for residents
and police in Logan.
Our Council already has a state-of-the-art CCTV network with police officers working out of that room to collect evidence and provide live information to officers in the field.
As a Councillor I get regular complaints about how burnouts and dangerous driving put people’s lives
at risk and lower their sense of safety on the roads.
When I speak with local police, they are frustrated that they are unable to do more to address the community’s concerns.
The CCTV network is good, but as soon as a new fixed camera is installed, it just pushes the problem
to a different area and nothing is resolved.
Hooning isn’t something that Council can address directly, but I know that our community expects Council to support police in the important work they do to keep our streets safe.
As Mayor I will support Council providing covert cameras to our local police to combat hooning and
dangerous driving.
This is an idea Division 2 Councillor Teresa Lane suggested for her area, but as it’s an issue that impacts so many residents I feel it would be a fantastic initiative to roll out city-wide.
These are simple examples of how I will listen to Logan residents and put you first in every decision I
make.
I want to work for the community as Mayor because of the incredible potential our city has.
Of course, potential isn’t realised on its own, making it a reality takes hard work.
I’ve got the energy, experience and vision to protect what we love about Logan, while transforming
the areas that still need work.
Best of all, with my extensive council experience, I can hit the ground running.
I know what it takes to be Mayor and I’m ready for the challenge.
