Name of ticket or independent: No. 2 on Greens ticket.

Are you a mayoral candidate? No.

Are you currently an Orange councillor? No.

Age: 35.

Family: Recently married.

What do you do for a living? Registered nurse.

How long have you lived in Orange? Nine years.

What is the best part of living in Orange? The people, the sense of community, parks, arts, theatre, wine, even the weather.

Why are you running for Orange City Council? I believe Orange should be a progressive place where everyone can contribute to their community. I would also like to see Orange thriving on green spaces, renewable energy, arts, culture and tourism.

How would you assess the performance of the current council? I’ve been disappointed by some of the decisions that’ve been made and the way they’ve been made, and also about the lack of diversity, especially the absence of women on council. It would have been even more disappointing without Neil Jones’s outstanding efforts to raise the quality of debate and get other councillors to think about the social and environmental impacts of their decisions.

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? Our city’s rates are relatively high, but we also have some quality community services and facilities that benefit residents as well as boosting our tourism economy. I would want to ensure that current public services and the things people enjoy about our city are maintained. But we need to find ways for council to reduce costs (switch to LED lighting, invest in solar power and electric vehicles, etc.) and be strategic about targeting useful grant funding.

Council has budgeted $17 million for roadworks in the next road-building season. Is this enough? ​Which roads should get priority? Council has to get the balance right. Roads will always need more funding but council has to maintain adequate levels of funding to its many other important community services. We need the roads program to be based on a strategy about how best to ease pressure on and reduce damage to the roads. That might include ensuring we get the distributor and feeder roads right so that as much traffic (especially heavy vehicles) can avoid residential streets and the CBD. Public consultation is important – both in terms of being able to report problems and get feedback about how the report is acted on – but also in understanding how people choose where they drive and how we might try to reduce people’s need to drive in some cases, to ease pressure on the roads.

What is your plan for the Northern Distributor Road? The distributor is a main road for residents as well as through traffic, so its role is important to the local community and the State Government. Council has responsibility for the road’s state since it opened five years ago, but we need a lasting solution and not more patch-up jobs. That will require an ongoing agreement with the State Government on a shared maintenance arrangement so that we can fix it for good. Ideally this would include replacing the traffic lights and awkward dual intersection at Telopea Way/Farrell Road with a large roundabout, which would also improve the road’s usefulness as a bypass and take more heavy vehicles out of the CBD.

Do you agree with the industrial re-zoning at Orange airport? What should the space be used for in the future? I totally disagree with it. The region is prime agricultural land and an important water catchment area that isn’t suited to the broad uses permitted under the industrial re-zoning, and there is strong opposition from the local community about potential social impacts. Some business uses that are relevant to the airport’s role as a gateway to the city and a transit hub might be appropriate, but there are many other locations available in Orange and surrounding areas that are more appropriate for the uses envisioned under the current re-zoning.

What specific uses for the former Electrolux factory will you pursue or support? We need to be creative and enterprising in the ways we find new ways to adapt and use the spaces where past industries and businesses have disappeared, and that includes the Electrolux site. Council’s role is to promote a vision of adaptive re-use and make the city one that attracts new businesses, industries and jobs. That should include lobbying for large projects that we know exist and are suited to the site, such as the assembly and maintenance of the new western rail fleet. Alternatively, it could involve transforming a large site into a network of spaces that allow people to get started and collaborate as they create new things and develop new business opportunities.

Do you agree with real estate agents and property developers being on council? Why or why not? I think their presence on council comprises its effectiveness. One of council’s main roles is to be an impartial and objective regulator of residential and business development within its boundaries. Community trust in council and the quality of decision-making can be comprised by the presence of councillors who may benefit from the decisions made. It can also lead to tensions and in-fighting between councillors.

What are the best ways council can help businesses prosper in the city? Council has three main roles to help businesses. The first is to provide facilities and infrastructure in locations where businesses can operate. The second is to create community spaces at those locations that draw people to them, i.e. they have to be attractive and easily accessible as well as have a mix of businesses and services that people need. The third is to balance development in different parts of the city to ensure long-term sustainable growth in all areas. In relation to the last of these, I’m concerned about the number of vacant shops in Summer Street and will be pushing for council to revitalise the CBD as a high priority.

Is there enough parking in Orange? If not, where should additional car parks be constructed? In talking to people during our campaign door knocking, parking has not come up as an issue much at all. People have talked about wanting to walk, ride or use their mobility scooters to get into the CBD, and would do so more often if it was easier to cross roads near roundabouts and if there were more footpaths and bike tracks. Better line markings for parking spaces would also help as I often see cars parked poorly and taking up more than one space. These issues should be addressed before constructing a multi-level car park.

Do you support the proposed purpose-built sporting complex council has acquired land for to the north of the city? As a registered nurse, people’s health and well-being is an important issue for me. Council sporting and recreational facilities are an important contribution to people keeping active and staying health. For these reasons, I would support the sporting complex if the necessary funds could be obtained from other levels of government in combination with council’s own contributions.

Are there any major projects you would champion if you elected? I would champion projects that enhance Orange’s reputation as a city that values smart sustainable design, that minimise our carbon footprint and impact on the environment, that provide more social services to the community, that support the arts and that make council facilities and services more accessible for all residents.