The Central Western Daily today features outgoing councillor Jeff Whitton in the sixth of our profiles on the seven candidates standing for Orange mayor at the December 4 local government elections.
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Name: Jeffery Whitton
Affiliation: Fellow Australian Institute Company Directors, Ambassador Cyber Security Hub NSW Investment, executive member infrastructure communications committee to the board of trustees Western Sydney University, executive member Australian Information Security Association Sydney.
Occupation: Company board director, certified data privacy solutions engineer, consultant mentor, and instructor expert in cyber intelligence offence and defensive methodologies. Short course lecturer in cyber security for company directors in governance and regulation, University Technology Sydney. Founding managing director of indigenous technology company, Yirigaa.
Family: Married 39 years (Dale), father of two, with one grandchild.
How long have you lived in Orange: A life resident of Orange schooled at Orange East and Canobolas High School.
Most essential issues: Services, parks and gardens and amenities for all ages, road and footpath maintenance, promote and support business and employment growth post-COVID-19, complete outcomes of the water security project, affordable housing, housing strategy, completion of thesporting precinct project, the southern feeder road, the Mount Canobolas redevelopment.
Why should you vote for me: I am an established community and business leader, I believe I have the cultural, people, environmental, social justice and business expertise to lead the Orange City Council as mayor.
I bring 17 years of experience into the council as an Orange City councillor, who has since 2004 built a reputation as a voice for the entire community with an unbiased common-sense approach to each matter tabled before the council.
During my time on council, I have served as deputy mayor several times, planning chair for two terms (eight years), founding chair of the economic development and employment committee, chair of finance and chair of the infrastructure committee.
A past Orange business chamber president, I have been a business owner in Orange for over 30 years. I have lived-knowledge and first-hand experience of the challenges of operating a business in a Regional City.
A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I am an experienced and qualified professional executive and non-executive board director, an expert in board and fiscal governance, regulations and risk.
As a seasoned mentor and leader, as Mayor, I will draw on my leadership experience to inspire collaboration between council members, council staff and those we represent, the community of Orange and surrounding villages of SpringHill and Lucknow.
Housing availability: The housing availability subject will be a crucial priority for me on day one of the new council with the recent draft release of the council's Housing Strategy for public comment.
The exodus of city dwellers relocating to Orange to work remotely and the booming sectors of tourism, mining, infrastructure, health, government and semi-government decentralisation has been fantastic for the economy and jobs growth prospects in Orange. However, this success has created housing availability and affordability stress in both first homeowner and rental markets, particularly in the low and lower-income bracket.
The priority will be to consider the submissions from public comment and get an agreed resolution of council to move forward with the draft Housing strategy as soon as possible. Liaise with government agencies and social, affordable housing organisations to roadmap and get REAL outcomes to the agreed recommendation in an achievable timeline.
Sporting precinct: I am 100% in support of the sporting precinct. This facility will become a significant economic asset and a facility that will provide sporting opportunities to countless people of all ages and bring families and the community together for significant sporting events on our front door for the foreseeable future. A priority to get completed.
The redevelopment of Mount Canobolas: I support moving forward with the debate, studies and consultation to redevelop Mt Canobolas for community walking and cycling tracks. From the information provided to the council, I believe the economic benefits and the management outcomes for the mountain far out way the lock-it-up for feral animals and invasive weeds approach.
Water security: High priority, Orange City Council has been a leader in the area of water security for the past 17 years, being the first to implement storm-water harvesting. The priority is to continually liaise with government agencies to stay at the forefront of water security programs such as the integrated water cycle management and regional water strategy program.
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