What do you love about the Tweed region?
The Tweed represents the best of so many joys, it’s location presents an idealistic climate which translates into an environment that is fantastic with flora, forna and habitat. Great to be part of all year round. Driving through the Tweed Valley is a joyful experience, looking at the environments beauty and it never get’s old. Be it cane farms presenting a lush green cane grazing paddocks from any elevation, looking over farmland hills and paddocks filled with livestock of cows or horses or occasionally sheep or Alpacas. Tweed is a diverse environment with numerous rivers, creeks, and streams which divide and run back from the mountains.
With views to the Ocean and easy access headlands it’s just the perfect mix with great towns, shops and villages along with a dynamic CBD of Tweed not overburdened with industrial space. There are numerous social and sporting facilities, cultural space and art. It’s amazing what we have in the generous Tweed Valley.
Why are you putting your hand up for the Tweed Council?
Numerous reasons, I am a father of four and now have eight grandchildren so my concerns look to the future through the lenz of the present.
Our DA process, housing permissibility, housing shortages, and homeless are issues raised all to often; every election they become dominant points. Economic development, tourism opportunities and limitations. Council controlled propertytender processe and& shortfalls/failures.
Promote greater awareness of agenda 2030, SDG’s and the effects and possible issues. The conversation needs to opened up. Many Australians aware of government giving a commitment through G7 & WEF aligned strategies. The World Economic Forum talks up a big plan, what are the possible ramifications need. Julian Assange motivated by freedom of information.
What relevant skills or experience do you bring to the position?
I’m 59 and have had a diverse life, my trade, roof-tiling, mowed lawns, barman, poker machine attended, function room management, purchasing officer and sales in plumbing supplies, landscape supplies, and finally I’ve owned and operated with my wife a successful retail business selling numerous products, specialists in energy efficient hot water services and products including LPG. We have provided gas distribution for over 26 years.
I have also enjoyed and served for five years and six months as an elected Councillor on Tweed Shire Council and served as a director on the Tweed Regional Gallery for five years. I have been a resident of Tweed for over 35 years. I love Tweed and after meeting my wife who is a lifelong Murwillumbah resident I was compelled to adopt Murwillumbah as my home.
My diverse background, experience, knowledge and empathy for others enables my experience as a councillor to be real and effective. I am well suited to the roll of councillor and I have had experience throughout many difficult times overseeing water restrictions, drought, Covid, border closures, floods, road and infrastructure failures and closures, providing competency and and passion across the diverse flow of issues. I know the concerns people face. I have experienced a lot through life and I want to help!
How would you address the local housing crisis?
I have numerous ideas, it will take the entire councils support to get the very best outcomes, but through diversity and acceptance of planning changes, housing diversity being single bedroom, two bedroom and fonzie type flats. Utilising farms, rural land and acreage and a variety of accommodation models we could resolve numerous issues and at a minimum we could create a large number of opportunities.
Capital gains tax needs to be looked into, state government needs to better provide safety incentives and financial uplift to our economy. Enabling the private sector is the safest way for governments to move forward without enormous outlays, this problem is not created by ratepayers or local government but has a lot to do with strict planning controls, we can help fix it. The problem with a successful model is that it may entice greater numbers of people seeking these solutions.
Do you think there is a role for local councillors beyond roads, rates and rubbish? If so, what is it?
Economic developments, tourism, agriculture, the list is long. I’m hopeful we can help our community in sharing their sites and providing access to our beautiful shires sites and share with others in sensitive and sensible way. Proactive planning and caring.
There are over 20,000 approvals in place for residential and business development lots yet there is significant delay in activating these sites. What will you do to change that if you are elected?
The planning act for the broad area of NSW forgets the numerous greenfield sites outside of Sydney and so the fine tooth comb is holding up approvals. Queensland planning is optimised for greater efficiency and seems to deliver without much of the controversy NSW applicants face.
Our area and our issues are more inline with Queensland in reality and design outcomes similar if not the same. Why do we have a government wanting such a degree of red and green tape? In my view it fails the people of Tweed and much of NSW and also fails to address many factors escalating in numbers. State members need to in conjunction with local governments seek immediate and urgent reforms that resemble Queensland’s systems.
How do you balance the pressure of more people and the need to protect the environment which is attracting the people?
We need to think and act holistically, creating diversity of optionality. Spreading the visitation throughout the shire and enabling private enterprise to participate in businesses would build an economically stronger more resilient, creating economic diversity to our communities. Affluent communities should be a goal not a crime, the shire developing and creating numerous job and service opportunities outside of local government should be a targeted goal.
I grew up in density and trying to get to know people in your community it is difficult. The whole idea of density is at first glance great for housing or homing people but provides a very soulless outcome. Communities are our shires strength and provide numerous beneficial outcomes, raising and caring for children in families, sharing in creation of economic outcomes through performance, communities are a model respected for achievement in outcomes throughout history. Building opportunities throughout the entire shire creates hope and dreams and mental well being.
I’ve see our communities band together often as protectionist. I believe enabling more community tourism is a great safeguard for Tweed.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
