Councillor Tony Mileto eyes Phil Donato's seat of Orange

Currently serving his second term on Orange City Council, Mr Mileto was last Thursday nominated as the Orange branch of the National Party's candidate for preselection.

A decision on the regional branch's candidate for the seat of Orange, which covers Parkes, Forbes and Cabonne shires as well as Orange, will be announced on October 15. The NSW election is on March 25.

The National Party's state executive will have the final say and can nominate a candidate, with Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway, who has an electoral office in Orange but is based in Bathurst, on Tuesday ruling himself out as a candidate.

Mr Mileto, who said he had also been approached by the Forbes branch to stand as its pre-selection candidate, said he had given his nomination some serious thought.

"It wasn't until last week I'd decided I'd put my hand up, based on a number of reasons," he said.

"The first one is that I've always believed The Nationals were the best party to represent this region... I still hold a strong view that is the case.

"I was also approached by a number of people in the community who asked me to strongly consider it because they feel the same way about who is the best party to represent the region."

Mr Mileto said he respected the incumbent member for Orange, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Phil Donato, who has held the seat since November 2016 but believes the National Party can offer more to the region.

Former NSW Premier Mike Baird's decision to ban greyhound racing and his administration's push for local government amalgamations were largely blamed on the Nationals losing the seat in a byelection called when Andrew Gee resigned to contest the Federal seat of Calare.

Mr Mileto said he believed the party had learned from that experience.

"I think you've got to learn from those type of things. I wouldn't be putting my hand up if I didn't think there were lessons learned from that.

"It's also the case if you believe in making change, it's easier to do it from the inside.

"That's the way I sort of address anything which I run for, whether it's council, if I believe there were changes which need to be made in the community or if you want to have a greater say, you need to put your hand up and fight for those changes and I've done that with council and a number of other groups I've been involved with."

Mr Mileto is hoping his input into the Orange community translates to support. He points out he has been president of the Ex-Services Soccer Club for 27 years and president of the Orange Football Association for 12 consecutive years.

"I do a lot with mental health and prevention of suicide, things like that. The community's my passion and so is the region so if given the opportunity I'll continue to fight for those sort of things," he added.

He also has strong links to Forbes after serving three years while with the NSW Police Force and playing league and union locally from from 1989 to 1992.

Mr Mileto said if his preselection is successful and he does contest the election, his role as an Orange City councillor will not be impacted.

"I certainly wouldn't be putting my hand up if I thought it would affect the running of Orange City Council because that is something I'm strongly involved in," Mr Mileto added.

In 2011, Orange Mayor John Davis contested the seat as an independent but remained at Council's helm.

In the event Mr Mileto is selected as the candidate for Orange and is successful in March, he will have to resign from Orange City Council.

The Central Western Daily understands if that is the case, as the election falls within 18 months of the last local government election, the last eliminated candidate will be eligible to take his position.

Sarah McGregor, who was third on Mayor Jason Hamling's ticket, was that candidate, having been excluded on the 61^st count while independent candidate Amanda Spalding was excluded on the 60^th.

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