Deputy Mayor Heidi Lee Douglas

23/08/2026

Thanks to for posting this great video about our pop-up in Bexley North on Saturday where we talked to the community about our proposed bike route from Bexley North to Rockdale and Kogarah.

Check out how you can extend the ride from Seaforth Park to Carlton in the first part of the video or jump to 5:30 to see a little interview with Councillor Janin Bredehoeft and myself.

If you support this idea, have your say! It’s being considered by Bayside Council this week. To speak at the Wednesday 26 August, Bayside Council meeting, you can submit an online application by 5pm on the day before the meeting. Item number is 13.3 Notice of Motion - Rockdale, Banksia and Carlton to Bexley North Active Transport Corridor.

In this video, I ride from Carlton to Bexley North to team up with ...

23/08/2026

22/08/2026

A story of survival - Walk from Bexley North to Tempe - SUNDAY 13 September 8:00am – 12:30pm
Would you like to explore the full length (5km) of the Wolli Creek Valley Walking Track. On this walk volunteer members of the Wolli Creek Preservation Society will guide you from Bexley North to Tempe via the Wolli Creek Valley Walking Track. They will share their knowledge of this bushland, its cultural and environmental history, as well as information about the current issues facing the Wolli Valley and the bush regeneration (Bushcare) work the Society is undertaking. Registration Essential.
https://events.humanitix.com/a-story-of-survival-walk-from-bexley-north-to-tempe-in-the-wolli-creek-regional-park-5km-7nxcun3s

22/08/2026

As the days get warmer, my internal clock gets louder.

When will we see next steps on the successful noise caners trial?

I’ve again written to our Member for Rockdale Steve Kamper -

You can write to [email protected]

☮️ ☮️ ☮️

Dear Minister
I’m writing to ask for your help in delivering a lasting solution to the issue of dangerous and excessively noisy vehicles in our community.

I have been campaigning for safer streets since 2020, and I know this is an issue that many residents across our local community continue to raise. The EPA’s noise camera trial in Bayside has now been completed, and the next important step is turning the trial into a practical enforcement solution.

I would like to ask you to consider making this a legacy of this term of government: delivering the legislative changes needed to enable noise cameras to be used effectively, including allowing fines to be issued where vehicles are found to breach the relevant noise requirements.

The technology has now been trialled, and I understand we are waiting for the detailed reporting and consideration of the next steps. What is needed now is a clear pathway from trial to permanent enforcement.

This is also bigger than Bayside. Other communities across NSW are experiencing the same problem, and a permanent legislative framework would allow the benefits of noise camera technology to extend well beyond our local area.

After six years of campaigning on this issue, I would love to see us finally move from advocacy and trials to a permanent solution that makes our streets safer and protects residents from unreasonable vehicle noise.

I would be very keen to work with you on advocating for the necessary legislative changes and to understand what can be done during this term of government to make this happen.

It would be a significant legacy for our community, and for communities right across NSW.

Kind regards,

Heidi Lee Douglas
Deputy Mayor, Bayside Councillor

22/08/2026

13/08/2026

After five years of pushing for stronger jet ski safety, with huge community need, I’m really pleased to say we have finally started to turn the tide. 🌊

I’m happy to report positive progress following intel shared at a meeting with Transport for NSW Maritime, NSW Police, Council and Steve Kamper MP, Member for Rockdale.

This summer we saw fewer complaints, with the St George polic beach buggy, and Water Police working together in a pincer movement to target offenders on the beach and on the water.

Sadly compliance in the St George area js atill lower than the rest of the state - so there is still more to do.

Bayside Council will soon be consulting the community on where different recreational activities on our big beautiful beach could be zoned.

We need to continue to push for stronger enforcement, education, licensing sanctions and legislative changes to enable better camera enforcement.

Our beaches and waterways need to be safe for swimmers, families, paddlers, sailors and responsible jet ski riders.

Five years of community pressure has made a difference. We can solve our local safety issues, and create a peaceful Bayside.

11/08/2026

“We need to be shocked into action. Because this is a genuine crisis.” - Professor Julie Posetti

Today I joined a panel with Women for Election to talk about the online harassment women in political life face — and why Australia needs a National Action Plan to address it.

Being on council, and running for council, you see the best and worst of people.

There can be bad behaviour in the council chamber. But there are processes for complaints, recourse and, where appropriate, consequences.

Online harassment is different.

For women in public life, there is still very little support or effective protection from sustained harassment, misogyny, misinformation and personal attacks.

I have experienced this myself since deciding to run for council — from being approached by men in my community and encouraged not to stand, to sustained attacks online, manipulated images and videos, and personal attacks over issues I have advocated for.

One example was an AI-manipulated image of me being used to attack a successful proposal I made to involve teenage girls in designing a local park — an initiative aimed at making public spaces work better for young women.

Networked misogyny can push women out of public life. It can silence voices, discourage women from standing for office, and roll back hard-won progress towards gender equality and women’s political empowerment.

Today’s conversation was incredibly powerful, with Professor Julie Posetti sharing her research and expertise, and Michelle Ryan bringing her own perspective to the discussion. Thank you also to Licia Heath for setting the scene and guiding the conversation, and to Bonnie Taylor for leading the panel.

And thank you to Jess Miller, Deputy Mayor of the City of Sydney, for sharing your lived experience too.

Sometimes sharing these experiences is surprisingly healing. Solutions bubble up from people who have experienced similar things, or who have thought deeply about how we can change the system.

Thank you, once again, to for advocating for safe spaces for women to lead.

I would never have run for council without your leadership and encouragement.

We need more women in political leadership — not fewer.

And we need to make our democracy safe enough for them to stay.

09/08/2026

This week I was in Pakistan for my day job as CEO of Solar Citizens, hosted by Pakistani think tank Renewables First, sharing Australia’s experience in consumer advocacy and protections as Pakistan navigates an extraordinary grassroots rooftop solar boom. I was assisting the building of a Prosumer alliance in Pakistan.

There was so much positive bilateral learning, including for my role as Bayside’s Deputy Mayor.

Pakistan’s Constitution provides for elected local government, yet right now experts told me that local government is unevenly functioning and elections have faced repeated delays. In Islamabad, the previous local government’s term expired in 2021 and residents are still waiting for new elections.

It was a reminder of how important local government is — including in the energy transition.

At Solar Citizens, we’re exploring Urban Renewable Energy Zones (UREZs), looking at a role for councils in coordinating renewable energy across urban communities, to better enable benefit-sharing.

Australia has around 28GW of rooftop solar on homes, with another estimated 28GW of potential on commercial and industrial buildings. The challenge is making sure the benefits of rooftop solar can extend beyond to homes that are hard to solarise — particularly in apartment communities and for renters, like Wolli Creek, where Solar Citizens is working with the community on local grassroots project “Electrify Wolli Creek” to help solve these problems.

I was recently in London Climate Action Week presenting the UREZ concept. My trip to Pakistan has reinforced for me just how much these issues cross borders, and cross over between my roles.

Imagine if every big roof (commercial and industrial, school, council building) had solar and battery storage and could share that cheap clean local power with nearby residents in apartments and with renters? That would reduce energy bills, including the standing charges on everyone’s bills that pays for new energy infrastructure. And reduce carbon emissions too. That’s a bright future on our doorstep.

05/08/2026

There is one thing that I really dislike and that’s bullying. Unfortunately online bullying is much to prevalent for women in public positions. I experience it, so I have spoken out.

Almost 90 per cent of women from across the political spectrum have endured patterns of targeted abuse designed to drive them out of public office.

31/07/2026

There was another pedestrian accident at Wolli Creek yesterday - involving pedestrian/s waiting on the traffic island being hit. I passed by shortly afterwards and it looked serious with many emergency response. This follows the death of a young woman in the same spot.

Residents, please know council is reviewing trafficc conditions already and what can be done to increase safety and traffic flow.

Princes Hwy is a state government managed road.

The lease for Woolworths finishing is a chance to remodel traffic flows and pedestriann access.

Extension of Gertrude st was also planned but unable to be actioned yet.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/family-mourn-uni-student-nicole-lewanski-killed-in-wolli-creek-crash-20161215-gtbjj3.

Just three days ago, uni student Nicole Lewanski celebrated her decision to go vegetarian with her brother. Now he is mourning the loss of his baby sister.