Where I stand.

We all know Armidale, and the wider New England region, is a fantastic place to live and raise a family but we are still a long way from realising our potential.

I see the future as one where businesses thrive and the economy is visibly flourishing. Where people want to visit (rather than pass-through) with experiences for all members of the community regardless of personal taste: arts, dining, retail, recreational, cultural, community and sporting. 

We have the potential and need to grasp it. We need to harness the natural beauty of the region, the incredible talent and passion, and carve out a successful future for ourselves.

Growth

In a word, what our region needs most is growth. Most of the problems we identify in the region are really just a symptom of a low and stagnant population. We need to grow our population from the current 30,000 to 40,000 as quickly and sustainably as we can.

Crucially, for the past 20 years the State government has not projected our population to grow and as a result we have not (and will not) received an increased allocation of government services and investment. Calls for more health professionals, a second high school, improved policing and grant funding for amenities fell on deaf ears and we are only now on the radar following the adoption of the ‘Toward 50,000’ Local Strategic Planning Statement which outlines our plan on how to get there.

A larger population will:

  • drive the revitalisation of the commercial and cultural hearts of our townships;

  • create a ‘gravitational pull’ for more business investment, more government services and the infrastructure to support us until we become a self-sustaining region impervious to the fortunes of one or two industries; and

  • enable sharing of the burden of many of the fixed costs that keep our region ticking along - rural roads, water infrastructure and the like.

Tourism

The Armidale region needs to become a destination once again. We must provide activities and events that are uniquely Armidale and go beyond encouraging visitors to explore what we have around us. The best results will see cohesion between economic initiatives, investment in critical infrastructure and where investment in one sphere can be utilised by, or capitalised on, by another.

Social Prosperity

I want to live in a vibrant community that provides opportunities for all of us to live life to its fullest. Our investment in tourism and other infrastructure should have a flow-on benefit to the wider community:

  • revival of the Armidale Mall and Creeklands - after hours and at weekends they should be places that draw people together through dining, music, events and somewhere fun, safe and interactive for the kids;

  • ensuring the community benefits financially from the New England Renewable Energy Zone. Armidale Regional Council has led the state in setting the benchmark for meaningful community benefits ;

  • the New England Rail Trail - after lying dormant for 36 years it is time this unutilised asset was made available for the benefit of the entire community until it becomes feasible for trains to operate on the line (legislation provides this assurance);

  • secure water supply for a population of 50,000 by raising the wall of Malpas dam and repairing Oaky dam, but with a view of leveraging these assets for enhanced recreational activities such as:

    • building high-altitude rowing and sailing training facilities that draw people from around Australia

    • Developing an annual ‘Highland Triathlon’ (i.e. the Dirt and Dust Festival at Julia Creek brings income to that community)

    • Open up access and provide barbeques, walking trails, and picnic facilities we can all enjoy.