BARRY McDonald is used to watching council meetings from the gallery, but - come September 10 - he's hoping for a seat at the big table.
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The 60-year-old father of three is putting his hand up for Goulburn Mulwaree Council at the forthcoming election. He's the first to officially declare his intentions, outside present councillors.
"I'm semi-retired, have spare time and I feel I can still contribute," Mr McDonald said.
"I like this community and I'm confident I can positively shape the area."
Mr McDonald has been a regular at council meetings over the past year, gaining insight into its workings. He also volunteered on the council's CBD future car parking working party.
The former business development manager with State and Regional Development (now the Department of Industry) wants to harness his experience.
In that role he supported business and industry in regional areas and delivered programs. He regularly dealt with councils and Regional Development Australia (RDA) boards.
"In this region I could see a lot of opportunities," Mr McDonald said.
Last year he was elected to the RDA Southern Inland board, covering 12 council areas. This week the board will weigh up industry support to lure wool sales back to Goulburn from Yennora.
"I grew up in Guildford and watched the wool store there get built," Mr McDonald said.
". . . Goulburn is ideally situated and we have a very strong wool industry. We are the fine wool capital of the world and we have the Big Merino as an icon.
"I see Goulburn could easily be positioned with highway access and a spur line to shift the operation here. There's no reason why it can't happen; it just needs the will."
Similarly, he sees opportunities to grow Chicago Freight Rail Services' rail hub at South Goulburn.
But he argues the council must focus resources where there's most chance of success.
He's sceptical of moves to draw western Sydney business to this area, arguing they'll likely stick around Badgerys Creek to cash in on second airport opportunities.
"I don't think we'll see a rush of business this way. Have we seen any to date?" he asked.
". . .I think we need to look at industries in outer Sydney where there's urban encroachment."
He cited companies such as Foti Pyrotechnics, which relocated to Marulan, yet still undertook much of its business in Sydney.
Mr McDonald said a fast train would turbocharge economic development, just as it did in France.
But unless the NSW Department of Planning changed its stance, Consolidated Land and Rail Australia's (CLARA) recent proposal to build new cities of 400,000 people was unlikely to fly.
"Hopefully CLARA's proposal will happen, but I don't think it will be for a very long time," Mr McDonald said.
"We have the most urbanised major cities so running the train between these centres, with a few towns in between, is essential."
In Goulburn itself, he argued the council could loosen the current 15m building height restriction in the CBD. This would encourage investment and dissuade developers from going elsewhere.
"I don't envisage massive skyscrapers but I think restrictions like that are unnecessary," he said.
Likewise, Mr McDonald wants to see more modern designs in the city centre, rather than replicating heritage.
Moreover, old "decrepit" buildings shouldn't be kept for the sake of it, he argued.
He believes in engineered solutions to environmental problems, like the large volume of recyclables still going to landfill.
"It would cost a lot but I think Endeavour could invest in more automation and sorting and the council could get harder on deliberate offenders who don't sort their rubbish," he said.
"The education strategy needs to be redone."
Observing from the gallery, he says the council is working well. The Mayor keeps meetings ticking over and community consultation is "effective".
But Mr McDonald doesn't agree with a proposed amendment to the Local Government Act to elect mayors for two years instead of one. He'd also argue for rate pegging to be kept within the inflation rate.
"As for the council, it's always a situation where you're never able to please everyone, but the council has to work within its resources and finances and what's best for the community," he said.
Things are working reasonably well, but there's always room for improvement."
* Nominations for the council election opens with the NSW Electoral Commission on August 1 and close August 10.
The Post will be profiling candidates for Goulburn Mulwaree in the run-up to the September 10 election. Let us know if you intend to nominate.