Miranda Korzy is a journalist and activist who has lived in Pittwater for nearly 20 years - and previously in Warringah for 10. She passionately believes in the importance of a strong community and that we must protect our precious environment for future generations.
With a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the Australian National University, Miranda carried out research in child and maternal health in its demography department after graduating. She later studied journalism at City, University of London, during which time she began reporting for the Australian Associated Press. On returning to Australia, she covered everything from police to politics for AAP.
She sees her role in the community as a listener, communicator and now as an advocate for residents – investigating local issues and voicing community concerns.
While raising her children on the Northern Beaches, Miranda supported and led a range of community groups, starting with playgroups and P&Cs. Since then she’s helped on a variety of local environmental and other campaigns including Save Mona Vale Hospital and Canopy Keepers - protecting urban trees.
During her free time, Miranda loves bushwalking, the beach, watching films and reading. She also swears by Pilates.
Contact
Miranda.Korzy@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
0481 904 173
Inauguration speech 2024
First of all, I want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet tonight, the Gamaragal people, and pay my respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging. I'd also like to recognize all Aboriginal residents of the northern beaches, including Pittwater's Garigal Clan.
Like others, I'm also deeply honoured, many people have supported me and the Greens, again, to represent them on council. Last time at the inaugural council meeting, I chose to make an affirmation because I believe religion and all levels of government should be separate. However, this time, I decided to swear an oath, and that was because it best expressed how I feel about my duty as a Councillor. Above all else, it comes from my heart.
People often tell me, I don't know why, that I don't seem like a Green. I'm not sure why, because I'm deeply committed and very proud of the Greens' now 50 year history. But I'm deeply committed to our core principles of ecological sustainability, social and economic justice, and I know Bonnie went through all of these, so you've already heard them, but I'm repeating them because they are so important to me. Peace and non-violence and grassroots democracy. However, I'm also evidence driven, so I won't simply vote for something because it might appear to be popular.
For those who don't know me, I, like others, again, came from very much a community background, community activist type background, but I grew up in Southern Sydney, I have an Arts Degree from the ANU with a sliver of computer science, I've done research in Aboriginal health, and I've worked as a computer programmer in industry. With a husband who is a software engineer involved in multiple startups, I can assure you, I also have a very solid appreciation of the demands and risks of business. I'm also a lifelong feminist and know what it's like to present software I've written to a team of blokes at the Vauxhall factory in the UK. However, most of my working life has been as a journalist, which is where my insistence, which everybody at this point knows about on getting the wording right comes from. Words matter.
Finally, like everyone else, I want to thank those who have made it possible for me to return as a Northern Beaches Councillor. Chief amongst these is Evan Turner, who I'm very sad, wasn't able to be here tonight at the last minute. Evan was our Greens campaign manager for the Northern Beaches Greens. He spent many hundreds of hours throughout my previous term, and Ethan did this as well, carrying out research and even writing motions. And Evan's actually run the last four Northern Beaches Greens campaigns, so he has been critical to our group. However, there have been many, many others, and I'm going to mention here Pru Warne, who was a friend and mainstay of our Northern Beaches Greens group and who we lost to motor neuron disease on the day of the ballot draw.
Finally, I also, like Sarah, want to thank my husband, Simon, for everything. He introduced me to Pittwater where his family lived, as my boyfriend when I was 18. He has made it possible for me to devote myself to council, and I'm going to say it here, seven days a week, holding the fort at home and doing everything on my campaign from mapping leaflet drops to standing for hours on the polling booths. I am deeply grateful to him.
So thank you very much, everyone.