Labor candidate for Whitlam, Carol Berry, is no stranger to standing up for people who have been marginalised.
As a former CEO of the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre (Illawarra WHC), she understands what is needed to support women across Australia and in the Illawarra.
Labor selected Ms Berry to represent Whitlam after MP Stephen Jones announced he would retire at the end of this term.
If elected in the upcoming, yet unannounced, 2025 Federal Election, Ms. Berry is ideally positioned to advocate for women and others who have not been valued in society and, therefore, lack the opportunity and resources to lead their fullest lives.
“If you’ve been working alongside people who have been excluded or haven’t had opportunities to be valued and accepted within the community, you take that on. You feel that quite intensely,” Ms Berry said.
“I’m someone who’s always been really interested in politics. I think that the most effective and efficient way you can drive change is through parliament, and I’m really passionate about continuing to progress our community and our society.”
Ms Berry is taking a leave of absence from her role running The Disability Trust, which has a $240 million turnover, to campaign.
She moved into the disability sector after leading the Illawarra WHC for two years. Reflecting on her time there, she shared her pride in strengthening connections with the Aboriginal community and expanding the Centre’s offerings beyond direct health services.
“We worked closely with the local Aboriginal community. That was wonderful. We were able to strengthen and deepen our connections with local Aboriginal women and support bringing Aboriginal women together in an atmosphere of safety and celebration and culture connection and cultural pride,” she said.
“We positioned the Women’s Health Centre to not only continue to be a safe space for women but to promote Women’s Health in a more holistic way. We were also able to promote the value of exercise, community, and connection and how that adds to people’s sense of well-being.”
Ms Berry sees her strengths in bringing people together to work towards solutions.
She supports the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone, is concerned about the expected population growth in Shellharbour and Dapto, and is eager to address housing affordability issues.
“West Dapto alone has an extra 50,000 people over the coming years. And across the region, it is next to 100,000 people,” she said.
“People are worried about things like daily inconveniences, like traffic congestion or concerns around being able to access a GP medical specialists, overcrowding in schools, how do we make sure we protect our local amenities?
“There’s a lot of concern around housing affordability and the generational impact of whether my kids can live in this area. Will people be able to afford to live here? But there are also concerns about how we can protect our local environment.
“How do we make sure we don’t just sort of have these suburbs pop up out of nowhere effectively, without the infrastructure and the planning around them to ensure that everybody can really continue to live in these amazing places?”
The new Shellharbour Hospital is being built by the state government in the Whitlam electorate. The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre advocates for birthing suites to be included in the new facility.
Ms Berry agrees that the capacity of Shellharbour Hospital may struggle to keep pace with population growth.
“I’ve had a number of people raise this with me even in the couple of weeks that I’ve been the candidate. It’s clearly an issue that is pressing and on people’s minds. So, you know, to the extent that I am able to influence that type of investment, absolutely. They’re exactly the types of issues that I would be aiming to be a very strong voice for the region.”
And what does success look like for Ms Berry if she gains a position in parliament?
“The key measure for success, if I am elected, will be how we can facilitate more local jobs for local people. There are a lot of people who commute in the electorate. It changes your life when you can work locally. So that’s something I’ll be very invested in – how can I facilitate and support more local jobs and employment for local people because it can be a game changer for people and their families.”
Announced candidates running for Whitlam
- Carol Berry – Australian Labor Party
- Katrina Hodgkinson – National Party
- Ben Britton – Liberal Party
