SHARON TODD PUTS HER HAND UP FOR PORT HEDLAND COUNCIL
By Marli Ryan
Kariyarra Noongar woman Sharon Todd has announced she will stand for council in Port Hedland.
She said the community is feeling uneasy and needs grounded leadership.
Ms Todd said she decided to run after watching changes in the town over many years.
“We all love Headland… but it’s just little things that happen over time that people feel that they’re not being heard.”
Safety and housing pressures
Ms Todd identified community safety and housing as major issues.
She said, “Security and safety are big at the moment. The housing pressure has always been a big one, affordability and availability and the flow-on stress from families and workers.”
“There’s a lot of drugs in town. So that causes a flow-on effect… to get drugs, people steal to sell things and it’s just a revolving cycle.”
Rather than focusing solely on enforcement, she wants more coordination between police, council, and community groups working with young people to find better solutions not only for them but for the whole community.
Experience across sectors
Ms Todd has worked across not-for-profit, government and mining, and now runs her own small business.
She said that journey has shaped the way she leads.
“It’s been a lot of growth and a lot of self-learning”.
Ms Todd said local government should be about service, not status.
“You’re there as a caretaker to guide the will of the people”.
She said at this stage in her life she has the skills, experience and time to give back to the Hedland community.
“I think I’m at that time now where I’m ready to slow down a bit within myself but give more outside.”
Ms Todd said council is not about personal gain.
“It’s not about egos. It’s about love and wanting to see beauty in our community.”
Restoring pride in Headland
Ms Todd said she wants to see stronger partnerships between Traditional Owners, ranger programs and community groups to improve the town.
“These things are right on our doorstep. We should all be working together in partnership to make a beautiful community”.
She also raised the condition of public spaces, including the cemetery.
“I want to fix our cemetery up. I want it to be a beautiful place where people can go and sit down and have picnics because their family’s there”.
Reflecting on her childhood, she said Headland was once a close-knit place.
She said, “People used to drop in for cuppers and good laugh, it was lovely back then.”
Ms Todd believes changes to the town’s workforce model have affected community connection.
Health advocacy
Beyond council issues, Ms Todd is also advocating for dialysis patients in the region.
She said families have raised concerns about machine breakdowns and communication when services are disrupted, particularly between Port Hedland and Karratha.
Ms Todd has written to state and federal ministers seeking answers, as many patients want to receive treatment on country.
She said there’s no one advocating for these people particularly when they’re in palliative care and actively dying.
Message to voters
Ms Todd said her message to voters is simple.
“I’m approachable. I listen and I care deeply about this community”.
Port Hedland voters will head to the polls later this year to decide the town’s next council representatives.