Cath Blakey was resting in the hospital bed in Canberra, suffering from pregnancy complications. She was dealing with pre-eclampsia, a condition which increases the blood pressure that can lead to serious, even fatal conditions for both mother and baby.
Meanwhile in Wollongong, the council was set to debate on the FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) service, a motion that Blakey placed, and passionately championed. As a waste educator, she understood that implementing the FOGO plan would bring significant positive changes: reducing landfill pressure, decreasing greenhouse emissions, and enhancing food waste recycling through composting.
In her absence, Jess Whitaker presented the motion in the chamber, while Blakey watched the debate unfold on her laptop in the hospital bed with frustration.
“Sometimes you could hear people saying things…, and I’m like, oh, I want to respond to that. But I can’t,” she said.
The council ultimately decided to hold a trial of the FOGO service in Austinmer, Cordeaux Heights, and Warrawong.
“It was Cath’s biggest achievement on council. The trial was so successful it led to the rollout of food organic collection across the city,” Mrs. Whitaker said.
“Her time as a councillor has been inspiring for me and many others in the Greens. She’s made a huge impact on the ‘Gong’.”
Her daughter was born in November, coinciding with Wollongong Council’s calendar, which only schedules meetings during the school term. This meant a break for summer recess after her birth.
“I attended only one of the December meetings with my newborn baby, and then there wasn’t another meeting until February,” Ms Blakey said.
“This gave me a few months to settle into motherhood.”
However, the demands of being a councillor remained high. Ten days before each meeting, councillors receive a hundred-page document to read and analyse.
While funding for childcare during meetings was available, most meetings were held at night, and she never hired a night-time babysitter. Blakey often felt financially strained.
She recalls a day attending a media event regarding pollution issues in West Dapto caused by Styrofoam used in new home foundations. Needing to do the interview and not wanting to leave her daughter alone in the car if she fell asleep, Blakey called her dad, who lived nearby, to join her.
“He came along and sat in the car with her while I handled the media interview. There were many instances like this where I had to juggle my responsibilities as a councillor and a parent,” she said.
After seven years on the council, Blakey announced in February that she would not seek re-election in the upcoming September local election.
“When I was elected in 2017, I wasn’t a parent. Now, my priorities have shifted,” she said.
Was motherhood the most significant factor in her political decision?
“Sometimes I felt like I was ignoring my daughter, but it’s more financial than motherhood. Being a city councillor is incredibly under-resourced,” she said.
“When I was a staff member, I earned about $75,000 a year. As a councillor, you get paid around $30,000 a year. Most people manage to do that with other part-time or full-time roles. So, it was putting a financial strain on my family being a city councillor.”
After announcing her departure, residents often asked if she should have pursued the position of mayor. Blakey recalls how her involvement in the Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia fellowship in 2017 influenced her decision.
“I remember someone saying leaders are those who create new leaders,” she said. “I had met some new people over the years who I thought were smart, passionate, and full of ideas. And I was feeling a bit tight, so I thought if I step out, then that will be an opportunity for them.”
Growing up in Mangerton, she never envisioned becoming a politician, largely due to her apolitical family—her father worked at the steelworks and her mother was a teacher. Blakey credits her political awareness to her friends.
Her first protest experience came in the late 1990s during opposition to French nuclear testing. Later, in high school, she organised a walkout in response to funding cuts to education by Prime Minister John Howard.
“My mum wrote me a permission slip to leave school that day. It was the most radical thing I’d done at the time, and it felt great to see everyone coming together,” she recalled.
Despite her growing passion for activism, Blakey initially did not see herself as a politician; she wanted to be a marine scientist. However, she recognised that political decisions often shaped environmental outcomes.
Her admiration for Green politicians, especially during significant movements like the Franklin River blockade, motivated her to engage with the Greens. In her 20s, she attended protests and met influential figures like Senator Kerry Nettle.
When approached to run for office, Blakey initially declined due to her fear of public speaking. However, she later recognised that the experience could have offered valuable learning opportunities. Eventually, she was elected as a councillor in 2017, after previously working as a waste educator in the council.
Looking ahead, Blakey is not ruling out a return to politics. She has taken a break after eight years of service but still sees a need for parliamentary change.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be in the candidate positions for future elections, but I m definitely going to be involved.”
Whether Blakey returns to active politics or not, current Illawarra Greens leader Jess Whitaker is confident she still has much to offer.
“I am sure she will be a key part of that evolution, as Greens councillors generally don’t just retire and disappear,” she noted.
In a recent conversation with UOWTV, newly elected Lord Mayor Tania Brown discussed facing misogynistic online trolls during her campaign. Blakey acknowledged similar challenges during her time as a councillor.
“There’s definitely a lot of misogyny out there. Sometimes it’s even from other councillors,” she said.
“It’s sad to see how polarised discussions have become. I enjoy having my ideas challenged, but when it’s just a barrage of polarised opinions, it’s hard to have meaningful conversations.”
The transition from being a councillor to a private citizen has been a significant adjustment for Blakey, who described her current state as one of uncertainty. She feel being in the process of working it out.
When asked about advice for young women considering a political career, Blakey encouraged them to pursue their ambitions.
“Go for it, and surround yourself with good people. But remember to take care of yourself, as political life can be challenging,” she said.
It was fitting that our conversation was taking place on a Saturday afternoon, in the Wollongong City Library. Blakey informed me that she had taken daughter to the park before joining the interview; while waiting for her mother, the little girl was probably drafting a motion to extend playtime.