With three terms' experience behind him, Cowra Councillor Peter Wright says he hopes to continue being a strong advocate for the farming community when residents head to the polls on December 4.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cr Wright is seeking re-election at next month's local government election and says he still has plenty to offer the Cowra community.
"I'm still active in the community and business... I can offer some understanding of council's operations going forward and council has a lot of plans and projects in the management plan that need to be delivered," he said.
"I think the farming industry needs a representative on council but I won't be there just to represent farmers' issues because the farmers' issues also encompass Cowra businesses and the Cowra community.
"Without those two groups, the farming industry loses a lot of direction... we needed businesses to support us and employ people associated with the rural industry and the community, they provide the workers and also provide the other services that we need to have a lifestyle that we all desire."
A lifelong resident of the Cowra shire, Cr Wright has been operating a family farming business for 47 years, 34 of those with his wife Mary-Ann by his side.
READ MORE:
He has also been heavily involved in a number of local and state agricultural boards and panels, including the Cowra Saleyards Committee, NSW Farmers, the Unregulated Lachlan Water Committee between 1996 and 2010 and Cowra Land Board.
He has also spent 47 years as a member of the Rural Fire Service, 13 years as the council representative at RFS Zone Management level and eight years as chair of the Zone.
He said one of council's biggest achievements during his tenure was getting the new Western Area RFS headquarters moved to Cowra, as well as making making changes to the Cowra Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
"We're able to get the RFS Area Headquarters to move to Cowra and it could be 30 positions operating out of the Cowra Airport with that," he said.
"We did finalise the LEP back in 2012/13 and we were able to reduce the minimum lot size from 400 hectares to 100 hectares... for a lot in the rural area for the building of a house.
"I feel that was necessary for existing farmers to have a possible succession plan for their children... and to accommodate people coming to town who don't want a big farm but they want a smaller farm."
Other achievements include the creation of the Cowra Youth Council committee and the Internal Audit committee, that oversees the risk management involved in council's operations.
Looking to the future, Cr Wright says he wants to see continued road and sewerage improvement, as well as more options in terms of recycling for residents.
"We appear to be locked into the 2050 Net Zero carbon issue," he said.
"I can the understand the need for carbon reduction but the implication on council could become a large expense... one of the major ways for council to reduce their carbon footprint is through recycling.
"When we're looking at our recycling program, and I'd like to see the possibility of including green waste and food waste a separate collection to go into a compost and not go to landfill... just encouraging people to develop on what they're recycling at the moment and try and improve it.
"[I'd also like] to see the sewerage connection to West Cowra completed at the earliest possible convenience and to maintain the local road infrastructure.
"Roads are the structure of the community that keeps us connected."
While there are plenty of challenges ahead for all councils across the state, Cr Wright believes his farming background has provided him the skills needed to be an effective councillor.
"I think I've offered some financial understanding to the council budget," he said.
"Most important part is I've been open to anyone who wants to contact me about issues and I can try and help you resolve them, to talk to the people concerned.
"It's just giving them a passage to try and sort their issues out.
"There's no such thing as criticism and everybody's got their own idea and I'm quote happy to accept it and work out where we can go with it."
If elected, Cr Wright says he looks forward to working with any returning or new councillors and will be putting his hand up for a leadership role on the council.
"I've been very encouraged at this election with the number of new candidates... it's very good to see how many female candidates have applied because they have a lot to offer," he said.
"Just to see so many people nominate is good and with a bit of luck, I look forward to serving with some of them after December 4."
What do you think?
Send a letter to the editor by filling out the online form below.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark cowraguardian.com.au
- Follow us on Facebook
- Follow us on Twitter