Candidate Profile

Our local paper, "The Muswellbrook Chronicle", has been printing Candidate Profiles for each of the 20 Candidates standing for the Muswellbrook Shire Council on the 13th. They asked each Candidate the same questions and limited us to 500 words. (I think I used 499 words.) My Profile was printed on Friday 29 August. For those of you who missed it, I am including it todays blog.

Why did you decide to stand for Muswellbrook Shire Council?
I am proud to be a Muswellbrook Shire resident and I am eager to help it grow and become a more wonderful place to live, work and relax in. I am impressed by the many people who volunteer their time and energy to the community and donate to worthwhile causes. I have the skills, time, and energy to commit myself to being an active Councillor for and on behalf of all the people of the Muswellbrook Shire. I am an independent candidate standing for openness, honesty, and integrity.

What are the major issues currently facing Muswellbrook Shire?
Future sustainability when coal deposits are depleted. The excess amount of dust in the air from mining. The drab appearance of the town’s approaches and Muswellbrook’s main street. The large number of empty shops with three more to close soon. The lack of a Theatre/Civic Centre. The improvement of communication between the Council and residents. The relocation of the Tourist Information Centre to a visible location.

What three things do you hope to achieve, if elected?
1) A return to Shire basics of better maintained footpaths and streets, many which have deteriorated over the years. More concreted footpaths in heavy pedestrian areas to reduce the incidence of falls and sprained ankles. No more costly street “improvements” such as in the disastrous ones made in Cook Street and the Skellatar Stock Route.
2) Provisions made for children, youth and families by the development of more parks with toilets, BBQs and playground equipment; the development of a large community adventure playground funded by grants and donations and built by community volunteer labour. The fastracking of a skateboard park. The construction of a cinema. The development of a river park.
3) The development of a large community run aged care facility with self care units, hostel, and a nursing home so that people do not have to move away from the Muswellbrook Shire when they age and there are no vacancies in the existing options.

What is your opinion of a Muswellbrook bypass?
The construction Muswellbrook bypass should commence as soon as possible. It is both dangerous and unpleasant to have so many heavy vehicles passing through and not stopping in Muswellbrook as they do now. Noise and congestion will be decreased. Conversations will be more enjoyable as people will be able to hear each other with fewer noise interruptions. More people will be attracted to walk and shop along the beautified main streets and support local businesses.

Is a strong economy in Muswellbrook Shire reliant on the mining industry?
The economy of Muswellbrook Shire partly relies on mining and power industries, however there should be far more benefits coming to the Shire than do at present. Considering the wealth of coal exports there should be more of a return to the Shire’s development. The Shire misses out on so much because of the many people who commute up the Highway to work in the mines but live and shop in the Lower Hunter. More attention should be given to forward planning so that a diverse range of productive economic enterprises are established now to cater for the time local coal deposits are depleted or alternative energy resources are utilised.