I am a long term resident of Walcha who worked locally in the Insurance and Financial Advice industry. With my wife Mona I have six children who were all raised and schooled in Walcha but now live away with their own families. Mona and I are both involved in community work and service clubs.
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I have served three previous terms on Walcha Council and the electricity county council and I also chaired the Walcha Hospital Board for some years, eventually becoming the chair (unpaid) of the North West Health Board based at Tamworth which managed 17 hospitals in the area with a budget exceeding $150 million.
My passion for local management of local affairs arises from these experiences - especially after witnessing the unfortunate effects of amalgamations and remote control of both hospital and county council management. The removal of local control of local affairs is usually driven by the "bigger is better" belief of the bureaucracy who persuade politicians to act, and the result is the false economy and institutionalisation of the previously small and effective local service.
Consequently when the latest amalgamation threats to Walcha Council were accompanied by threats of dismissal to council and councillors who publicly opposed the proposals I joined a group of activists from the community to set up what became known as the WAGs - the Walcha Action Group. Their purpose was basically to stir up the phenomenal Walcha spirit and generate as much publicity and opposition as possible - unofficially liaising with Council - until the community pressure produced the desired result.
My primary aim if elected would be to help ensure that Council continues to effectively and efficiently supply the basic services that residents and ratepayers use as this is the reason we needed to stand alone in the first place. I am particularly concerned about maintenance of local roads, investigating water supply supplementation, and I also believe Council can do more in agitating for better mobile phone and internet services.
Recent attacks on our independence have led me to examine the strengths and weaknesses of Walcha's position in regard to future amalgamation attempts.
I have come to believe that the best place to promote my ideas and develop them further would be from within Council and that has led me to seek election in B Ward.
