Kyogle meet your candidates continued

engagement with residents and other levels of government to achieve best outcomes in the public interest.

B Ward

Neil Summerville

My Family has owned properties in the Babyl creek area since 1972.

My wife Merle and myself bought a property at Sextonville in 1989 where we still live and raised our three boys .

My main motivation for running for council is maintenance costs of vehicles on rural roads.

I have more than 20 years of board room experience behind me, including the board of Northern Co-op meat company as deputy chair, where I was responsible for 1200 staff and turnover in excess of $300 million.

I was NSW Livestock Health and Pest Authority chairman for eight years, chairman of North East pest animal advisory committee for many years to name a few.

Glenn Robinson

I moved into town from acreage nearly 10 years ago.

I’m standing for council because I’d like to see a council that is open and transparent and in touch with the community.

Where everyone knows what’s going on and trust their councillors.

A good councillor, I think, is a good listener, a good communicator and someone that works well with others.

I realise being a new councillor that there will be a lot to learn, but I am up for the challenge.

I am here to represent the people and I understand that I have to work with other councillors to get the best results.

It’s not about personal taste and personal agendas, it’s about what’s best for the community.

I think the biggest challenges in the next term at the moment will be regaining the trust and respect of the people in their councillors.

Robert Cullen I am ffth generation, living in B Ward since 1849.

I am very proud and passionate about the Kyogle area. It is a great place to grow up and live. I want to keep it that way. I was elected in 2021 and served a short term. I’d like one more term to continue the great work achieved by the current council and staff. There’s more to be done.

Kyogle has a huge road network but a small population. We need to work to obtain grants to improve and seal gravel roads, upgrade causeways, potholes and ensure a good road over the Richmond Range to link the east and west of the shire.

Continue to improve communication between council and the community.

Continue to improve main streets, parks and gardens.

Advocate for improved mobile and internet coverage. Encourage and facilitate primary production and tourism. Greater support for the vital volunteer organisations. Always shop local to support small business and jobs in the towns and villages.

I am on seven volunteer organisations. I was raised with a strong sense of serving and giving back to the community. I manage the Farmers’ Market so I’m there every Saturday morning. Come and talk to me, I’m a good listener.

John Burley

Has been a councillor of B Ward for three terms from 2012 to 2024. Lives at Horse Station Creek.

Olivia Taylor

I have a strong professional and academic background.

I am a person of good character and always bring integrity to my professional and public life. I completed a double degree in a Bachelor of Politics and International Relations/ Bachelor of Laws, I then became a fully qualifed lawyer. I have always been involved in the communities in which I live, usually by volunteer work and helping those in need. I have experience as an advocate and always act ethically.

C

Ward

Simon Dejoux

We’ve owned our property at Gradys Creek since the late 1990s.

I want to restore integrity, transparency and honesty to our council.

I want to be part of a Council that:

• puts the residents and ratepayers frst.

• is open, honest, transparent and isn’t secretive, dysfunctional and disruptive.

• knows how to work together as a team for the good of all our residents and ratepayers.

• works collaboratively and cooperatively with other levels of government to ensure our needs are heard, understood and addressed.

• honours the past, celebrates the present but is ready for the challenges of the future.

I am standing for Council because I want to make a positive difference for everyone. First we have to urgently repair the reputational damage done to our council and then we quickly need to move on the addressing the pressing issues of our roads and bridges, aged care, youth issues, crime and safety, homelessness, tourism, telecommunications, small business and working in partnership with our agricultural producers that form the backbone of our local economy by ensuring that they have the support they need.

We also need better planning outcomes and equity in service provision for our villages and smaller communities.

I’ve spent nearly 40 years working with –

• all levels of government,

• the private sector,

• the not-for-proft sector,

• non-government organisations,

• the university sector,

• all manner of State and Commonwealth representative bodies,

• a range of Ministerial and Parliamentary groups specifcally representing people who live in rural and remote areas.

I’ve worked with communities that have faced the ravages of drought, bushfres, foods, biosecurity threats, population decline and the tyranny of distance.

I’ve seen the expansion of our cities at the expense of our less populus areas and I know the challenges confronting them now and into the future.

Our ageing population will be a challenge for everyone to confront and we’ve already seen the slow death of volunteerism in many small communities.

We have to address the historic and ongoing chronic underfunding of the local government sector and we need to seriously address cost shifting by the State Government.

We need local governments in our area to learn to work together for the mutual beneft of all through more targeted and effective representation.

Danielle Mulholland

I am a full time councillor and part time lawyer and board member and have lived at Gradys Creek for the past 25 years.

I grew up Country and have served 3 terms on Council, but there is still so much left to do.

I want to focus on:

- roads and bridges backlog;

- helping Kyogle and our villages thrive;

- sustainable communities, balancing the environment while encouraging innovative primary production eg, gate to plate experiences, raw product to market onfarm etc;

- our ageing volunteer base;

- basics for the villages eg kerb and guttering, pavements etc;

- passing waste levy waiver on to residents, saving them $ at the tip gate;

- economic and social activation of our communities;

- community engagement to rebuild the trust between community, Council the organisation and the elected body, and to better inform decision making;

- ensure that water and sewer project is delivered to Wiangaree, Tabulam and Mallanganee;

- seeing the Mallanganee lookout complete which highlights our most marketable resource - the natural environment;

¬- build a cooperative, collaborative team.

- being the community’s voice on the bigger issues.

I think the most important issue in our electorate at the moment is rebuilding the trust between the elected body, Council staff and the community.

We need to fully engage with our communities and allow their voices to be heard.

The next most important issue is our roads and bridges – we still have a way to go before we have addressed our infrastructure backlog.

Decent roads and bridges support our local residents and industries, allow kids to go to school, emergency services have access etc.

I have a proven track record of delivering outcomes, securing funding and fulflling my promises.

I am hoping that this will hold me in good stead coming into this election. I am passionate about our council area and will always act with honesty, integrity and in the best interests of our communities.

Ian Murrell

I have lived in the Kyogle district since 2016.

I am not running because I feel that the present councillors have done a bad job or because I have some pressing concern I want resolved.

I have no vision for Kyogle district, apart for wanting a great place to live and work and visit.

I’m running because I think new people with new ways of thinking are good for the democratic process.

My most urgent issue is to fnd out what are the urgent issues of the people in the district.

I am receptive to having peoples’ issues and ideas explained to me.

To achieve that I’ll run workshops for the whole community.

I’m an ex-clinical nurse, and cabinetmaker who lives in Cougal with my partner, Eija.

I’ve been active in community organisations and on the boards of co-operatives and body