Name of ticket or independent: Group K – McRae-Bloomfield ticket.

Are you a mayoral candidate? No.

Are you currently an Orange councillor? No.

Age: 40.

Family: Husband Haimish Karrasch and three children: William 8, Alexandra 6 and Thomas 4. Mum June and her partner David, my grandparents Joan and Alan, and my brother, his wife and their two children all live in Orange and surrounds.

What do you do for a living? Chiropractor and owner of Alive Health.

How long have you lived in Orange? 18 years in total over three periods – 1984-1990, 1993-1994 and 2006-present.

What is the best part of living in Orange? Orange is a great mix of being big enough to offer great facilities, but small enough to have an amazing community feel, with such diverse and friendly people.

Why are you running for Orange City Council? I feel that I can represent a broad but under-represented demographic within the Orange community and be a skilled, ethical and caring voice for the people of Orange to help foster the growth of this beautiful city and make sound decisions that will benefit the whole of the community.

How would you assess the performance of the current council? I feel that there are a lot of councillors that have devoted many years to this town and perhaps have more recently lost sight of what this town and its community members need for continual growth. It is a wonderful city to live in, and they have made some wonderful changes over time, but there are other opportunities that may be taken to give Orange the best chance moving onward and upward into the future.

If elected, would you lobby to reduce, maintain or raise rates? If you would reduce them, which services or council undertakings would you eliminate to do so? Although it would be lovely, but slightly unrealistic, to say that I would lobby to reduce the rates, that would ultimately mean that Orange may lose services that are much needed in this city. Keeping the same would be ideal as then there is little disruption to the household budgets. However, it is likely that as expenses for the council goes up, so to do the rates. The council is a business, not a charity, and we need to make sure that we have enough money (that is very well managed and not seen to be overspending unnecessarily), to maintain the services that we do have and add further services that are much needed to cater to the ever-growing diversity in this wonderful area. Further information is needed about spending and I would like to see all the information about our council expenditure, as there may be areas that can be reduced to save the taxpayers some money or be redirected to better opportunities.

Council has budgeted $17 million for road works in the next road-building season. Is this enough? Which roads should get priority? There are a number of roads that are in great need of repair, such as Forest Road, Clergate Road and the Northern Distributor Road. However I feel that we really need to look at how we are fixing the roads and is it the best system for our usage and climate conditions? Better information about the costings would help me form a better opinion on whether $17 million is enough for this coming year.

What is your plan for the Northern Distributor Road? This stretch of road is important to so many residents, and its repair should be of high priority. Orange is only going to keep growing, which in turn means more people using these links to different parts of the city, so keeping it in good working order will keep it safer for the residents and visitors to this area.

Do you agree with the industrial re-zoning at Orange airport? What should the space be used for in the future? Although I do not know enough about this project, there is so much industrial area closer to town that is sitting empty and looking quite derelict that could be re-purposed. Or areas closer to the city that already have the infrastructure close at hand. The airport area needs to remain ready for further airport expansion as Orange continues to grow and we see more need for air travel.

What specific uses for the former Electrolux factory will you pursue or support? If we can find any business or businesses that would fill the space, but at the same time increase the employment opportunities in Orange, it would be welcomed. It could almost be like a co-working space for industrial/commercial enterprises?

Do you agree with real estate agents and property developers being on council? Why or why not? The perception, whether true or not, is that there are ulterior motives for the real estate agents and developers that are currently on council. So it would be better to have people that are not there to benefit their own situation, but rather make decisions for the betterment of the community. If it happens that they are on the council, then they should remove themselves, due to a declaration of interest, from any decisions about development.

What are the best ways council can help businesses prosper in the city? The people that represent us need to be able to make decisions about the growth of the city that involves revitalising the vibe of the centre of the city, create incentivised schemes that will fill the empty shops, improve the accessibility of the main streets, and help the parking situation. So that those that have not been visiting Orange as much will have desire to do so again.  

Is there enough parking in Orange? If not, where should additional car parks be constructed? No, there isn’t, there does need to be a big review of what is needed now, but also plan for future growth. Where is the million-dollar (or several million dollars) question. There are places in the CBD that could be better utilised for parking, as long as it caters for less-able people.

Do you support the proposed purpose-built sporting complex council has acquired land for to the north of the city? No. There are fantastic locations in the centre of town that need a desperate upgrade, like Wade Park and the velodrome, that could be further developed to cater for events that will attract more visitors and make Orange a sporting destination.

Are there any major projects you would champion if you elected? The three main areas that my focus would be on the enhancement of business services and the better utilisation of the already great services we have, which will enhance the confidence among the residents and business owners, increase employment, potentially improve the streetscape of Orange, and draw people to the area. The next area I would like to focus on is community engagement and service, which I believe will increase safety and security, and make people healthier through engagement and connections. And finally, work on family and sporting facilities that will enhance our health activity, and lifestyle improvements. And make Orange the destination of choice, not only for health and food and wine, but for sporting events as well.