Name of ticket or independent: Group F – Mileto-Townsend ticket.

Are you a mayoral candidate? Yes.

Are you currently an Orange councillor? No.

Age: 52.

Family: Married with three children.

What do you do for a living? Federal Government employee working in the area of compliance, and also a project leader.

How long have you lived in Orange? 40 years.

What is the best part of living in Orange? The people and the tremendous community spirit. I admire and appreciate the way the community bands together to support others in times of need.

Why are you running for Orange City Council? I want to put community back into council. I believe that overall the current council are disengaged from community expectations. I am passionate about being a voice for the entire community and want to open up council and make it more accessible for everyone. I have been concerned for some time about the lack of accountability and transparency regarding some decision making, in particular, council not recording meetings and the large amount of closed meetings. There is also a need to implement strategies to attract employment opportunities and new industries/infrastructure, while working with neighbouring councils in tourism and other joint regional interests.

How would you assess the performance of the current council? Until a thorough and comprehensive assessment can be made of council’s exact financial position, it would be unwise to comment on just how effective and diligent the current councillors have performed. There are a few causes for concern - I look at the Northern Distributor Road, the aquatic centre, the runway at the airport, the lack of infrastructure at the North Orange precinct, and of course the many millions of dollars of ratepayers’ money that has been used to purchase land for the proposed airport business park. Who knows how many more millions the Shiralee Estate debacle could cost ratepayers? I am also concerned that a proper feasibility study wasn’t undertaken, or a business plan provided, with regards to the airport business park prior to major spending of ratepayer’s funds.

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? I would need to look at council financials to obtain a better understanding of the financial situation prior to committing to any proposal. I assume that the current council have a business plan in place that includes projected rate increases for the next three to five years. If the budget allows, I would like to see any increase on the rate component, limited to the current CPI. If the budget would allow, my first order of business would be to place a freeze on water and sewerage rates for three years. Sometimes the devil is in the detail when it comes to rate increases. Components such as administration need to be monitored and scrutinised in greater detail.

Council has budgeted $17 million for roadworks in the next road-building season. Is this enough? Which roads should get priority? $17 million may not be enough money based on the cost to recently repair a small section of the Northern Distributor Road (approximately $14 million). It would be reasonable to assume that other sections of the road will require ongoing maintenance and may be considerably higher. In addition, general maintenance will be required to other street within Orange.  I feel Forest Road leading to the Orange Health Service needs to be a priority. This section of road is a major concern and obviously in desperate need of an urgent upgrade. If patients weren’t in need of medical attention prior to arriving at the Orange Health Service, they certain will be after traveling this section of road in its current state. I have been advised that the expected cost to upgrade Forest Road would be in the vicinity of $5 million.

What is your plan for the Northern Distributor Road? As president of the Orange Resident and Ratepayers Association Inc, I have been quite vocal regarding this issue. The Northern Distributor Road appears to have been under-designed and constructed with poor quality materials in comparison to similar roads that were constructed at Kelso and Hartley by the RMS. I believe that an independent extensive investigation needs to be undertaken immediately into the construction of the road and ongoing maintenance. The question then needs to be asked: does council have the required expertise to undertake the work themselves, or do they need to acquire the services of an external consultant with relevant expertise with geo-technical engineer designs?

Continually resealing the road is not the solution, it is Band-Aid on a broken limb that needs urgent medical attention. In the first instant council must identify what is the major contributing factor to the ongoing problem. The sub-structure underneath the asphalt surface is undergoing a process which is commonly referred to as fowling, or breaking up. There are also some suggestions that the gravel used on the Northern Distributor Road may not have been of a suitable quality and as a result, this may have resulted in a poor quality road-base.

One ought to look no further than the way the road was originally constructed and the products used. What were the specifications and were they suitable for the purpose intended? Were the specifications used designed for a country street, a sub-division or predominately for a major thoroughfare for heavy vehicles, in particular semi-trailers and prime movers?

Where to from here and how much will it cost to fix the problem? Obviously if the levels of the road would allow, the most cost effective way of fixing the problem would be to try and stabilise the road and build a new pavement on top. However there are obvious major issues with curbing and roundabouts. Ideally the road needs concrete and asphalt which would be a 40- to 50-year solution.

Do you agree with the industrial re-zoning at Orange airport? What should the space be used for in the future? Absolutely not, I certainly encourage and support industry and development, but only in the appropriate areas.

The proposed location for an industrial precinct is centrally situated on the Orange Basalt Plateau which overlays the complex Orange basalt aquifer. The Orange Basalt Aquifer is the source of high quality drinkable groundwater and is described as having “high groundwater vulnerability due to the local groundwater being of good quality with potential for contamination from surface activities”. The location experiences high water infiltration rates, which exposes the aquifer to surface derived pollution. Documents prepared for this rezoning proposal provide no business plan, one would think essential for a proposal which requires such large investment. The Regional Plan states that ‘this means protecting productive agricultural lands and important environmental assets, maintaining healthy waterways and catchments and sustainably managing mineral and energy resources.’ We need to ensure protection of the security and quality of the Orange water catchment, basalt groundwater aquifer and fertile soils and drinking water from contamination from industrial pollution. Environmental concerns need to be heeded. Council need to recognise the importance of the biodiversity existing within the area and the capacity of the ecosystems to enhance the environment – what it provides us and, ultimately, our wellbeing.

The Industrial Park that council has in mind could potentially be a white elephant. To buy the land with the attitude that if the industrial precinct doesn’t go ahead the land could be sold at a future date for profit is a gamble. Cancel the proposed airport business park development and return the land to agricultural zoning to protect the aquifer and Orange water catchment and supply.

What specific uses for the former Electrolux factory will you pursue or support? I feel council should be working collaboratively with the complex owner in an attempt to find a solution. A massive amount of capital injection to rehabilitate the site and the whole precinct extending to the previous sale yards needs to be incorporated into the plan of that precinct. Nearby residents need to be protected from the ramification of any development. Whilst the council can be helpful to any proposed developer, it shouldn’t involve the expenditure of any ratepayer funds.

Do you agree with real estate agents and property developers being on council? Why or why not? When it comes to local government, there is an expectation of transparency, integrity and accountability. The question as to whether real estate agents or property developers should be allowed to sit on council is really a ‘moot’ issue. Relevant legislation such as the Local Government Act and the Electoral Commission does not preclude these people from running for council. Neither does the Anti- Discrimination Act 1977.

Procedural fairness and natural justice are reasons why we have democracy. Voters will decide who they believe should be elected to council. What are the best ways council can help businesses prosper in the city? Council could look at offering incentives for incoming manufacturing businesses that will suit that type of environment. Seek out businesses, even start-ups, who wish to relocate. Offer incentives with priority development application processing and resources of council staff.

Is there enough parking in Orange? If not, where should additional car parks be constructed? I don’t believe there are enough parking spaces available in Orange and the problem will only become increasingly worse as the community continues to grow. Perhaps council could consider building a multi-purpose parking station directly behind the Orange Civic Theatre, or look at the possibility of ground parking at the old Moulder Street netball courts, which are also centrally located.

Do you support the proposed purpose-built sporting complex council has acquired land for to the north of the city? I would support a purpose-built sporting complex, but not at the proposed location intended and/or at this point of time. I don’t see it as a priority. My preference would be to support the upgrading of existing sporting facilities in the first instance. My understanding is that there may asbestos in certain pocket of soil within the Orange landscape, therefore I would want to see a proper feasibility study undertaken prior to any major spending with a focus on wise investment of ratepayer’s funds.

Are there any major projects you would champion if you elected? I feel mental illness is a major concern in our community. I would like to lobby the State and Federal members for funds to establish a 24-hour mental health crisis facility to assist and support people with urgent needs who can’t wait two or three weeks for an appointment.