We recently sent the six candidates for the seat of Bathurst a series of questions submitted by you, the voters of Blayney Shire.
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Every day up until the election we'll bring you their responses.
Each candidate was allowed 200 words for each question.
The answers are unedited unless they exceed the 200 word rule and then they are truncated back to the nearest full stop.
The order of answering will rotate with each question.
Here is their response to the fourth question.
Will you support council amalgamations?
David Harvey (Greens) - Not as a general rule. Did not support the last round as I believe it was based on flawed data.
Michael Begg (Sustainable Australia) - I will definitely not support any council amalgamations in the bush.
Tim Hansen (KSO) - I don't support every council amalgamation, and certainly not ones where the communities unanimously reject them.
Communities should be in charge of their destinies, and have as close and immediate access to local government as possible.
Perhaps in larger metropolitan areas it might make sense - I used to live in Newtown in Sydney, which was amalgamated with Marrickville and Leichhardt councils, but that's a very small geographic area with a largely homogenous demographic and the disruption was relatively minimal.
But the Bathurst electorate is huge. Lithgow, Bathurst, Oberon, Blayney, these places are not conveniently close to each other.
Their community make up and needs are completely different, and they need individual councils that reflect that. Life in the country is already full of petty inconveniences that people in metropolitan areas don't need to deal with.
Having your local council in a completely different town to you is an unnecessary additional burden.
Brenden May (SFF) I Oppose any future forced council almalgamations and continue to push for a plebiscite vote of community support for de-amalgamation.
Paul Toole (Nats) - We want our Councils to be strong and continue to provide services across the local community for the ratepayers. That's why we have partnered with our Councils, like Blayney Shire Council to build the projects that matter to you and me. They can be the local roads, bridges, footpaths, cycle ways and sporting facilities across the area to make our communities stronger.
We will continue with the investments across the area that are important to our community through programs like the Stronger Country Communities Program. Some of the projects we have been supporting have been:
$272,000 into a new skatepark for the community.
Improvements to our halls at Newbridge and Neville.
Upgrades to the Blayney Showground, like fencing, irrigation, new kitchen and dining room.
$762,655 towards cycleways and footpaths around Blayney
$322,000 for upgrades to Napier, Carcoar and Dakers ovals.
$415,000 to the Lyndhurst Village footpath
Sealing and widening of Errowanbang Road of $7.1 million
Projects like this can be delivered because we have specific regional funding programs for Councils like Blayney, such as Fixing Country Roads, Fixing Country Rail, and safe and secure water to name a few.
Beau Riley (CLP) - Labor does not support forced council amalgamations.
I do not support forced council amalgamations. I will not be changing my mind after the election.