– Introduce yourself and why you have decided to stand for council.
I was born in Deni and went to school and uni in Geelong before working for an accounting firm in Melbourne and becoming a chartered accountant. Over 30 years I held varied accounting roles in the profession and industry.
When I first met my partner Dianne and moved to Balranald a decade ago, we both joined Balranald Inc and experienced first-hand the sorts of good things that could be achieved for the community.
Council, in my view, is about making a better community: working collaboratively with all councillors, advisory committees and the community to secure great outcomes for the shire.
– Have you had any past experience in local government?
In the current council I am on four committees: the Growing Business, Industry & Tourism Advisory (chair), the Bidgee Haven S355, the Australia Day Committee (chair) and the Executive of Chairs.
Often it is a slog to get things done within local government but at times things just come together easily and that gives a lot of joy. It is a case of being patient until those times occur… which they inevitably do.
My platform in standing for council is to improve community strength & economic growth, be environmentally and culturally consciousness, provide fiscal responsibility, deliver good governance and be forward looking.
– If elected, what issues do you hope to address and prioritise during your time at council?
. Improve community consultation and transparency in decision making
. Build an environment of trust within council where teamwork and ideas flourish and where working hard and smart is rewarded
. After what we have gone through with rate increases, canvas support for a period of below-CPI rises
. Work closely with both big and small businesses to establish their needs and wants from the council and then deliver on them
. Continue to advocate for and support tourism to the shire
. Provide incentives to encourage a doctor, nurses and teachers to Balranald with good housing and other benefits
. Promote social and cultural inclusion, and
. Strengthen relationships with neighbouring councils.
– In what ways would you like to improve the shire?
. Establish an industrial estate in Balranald
. Increase housing across the shire
. Establish a self-governing Community Benefit Fund that administers community contributions from mining and renewable energy
. Work to establish a centre for youth training trade opportunities
. Expand, when financially viable, Bidgee Haven Aged Care, and
. Strengthen the advisory committee system by giving more admin support and encouragement in decision making and make it a pathway for future councillors.
This information is authorised by Iain Lindsay Field, 1725 Ivanhoe Road, NSW 2715.
