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 cut back to the nearest full stop.
The order of answering will rotate with each question.
Here is their response to the fifth question.
What does each party feel is the one most necessary thing our shire requires most? And what are their plans to make it happen?
Michael Begg (Sustainable Australia) I would meet with council, and a mix of community members and sort out what needs to be done. More power must be given to residents to have a say of how money is best spent.
Tim Hansen (KSO) When I was growing up in Orange in the 80s and 90s, I didn't "fit in". I was a gay kid (closeted, I didn't have a death-wish), into music and theatre, and anyone who was around in the Central West during that time would know that being gay and being creative was a recipe for social catastrophe.
Today I'm proud that the Central West has become one of the most inclusive, safe places I've ever lived. A gay kid in a country town out here has no more to fear than their metropolitan counterpart. But creative kids? They still struggle to find their niche in the Central West.
Young artists need time to find their groove. They need mentors to teach them, peers to collaborate with, and spaces to practice their art. For that to exist, there needs to be a healthy arts ecosystem and ultimately that comes down to money. Currently Create NSW, the body that administers arts funding in NSW, is not only woefully underfunded, it's used as a slush fund by Arts Minister Don Harwin to butter up marginal seats at the expense of legitimate community arts projects.
Brenden May (SFF) Increased mental health facilities. I will be working with mental health services and advocates to ensure. Funding and services for the electorate
Paul Toole (Nats) Water security: The drought has highlighted the need for better water security across the State and here locally. That includes looking at raising dam walls, increasing the capacity of weirs and connecting our towns and villages with pipelines to ensure long-term water security for the community, farmers and the environment.
We've invested more than $21 million in a pipeline from Orange to Blayney and Carcoar to ensure our communities have a reliable and safe drinking water supply. It will increase water security for so many residents and ease water restrictions on households.
And we've committed another $850,000 to explore options for a 12 kilometre pipeline from Lake Rowlands to Carcoar Dam to further improve water security for Blayney and Carcoar.
We can't make it rain but we can keep investing in water and ensure our communities have a secure and reliable water supply.
Beau Riley (CLP) - Stopping the Sydney stadiums knock down to allow Labor to invest in schools in hospitals.
When door knocking in Blayney the most requested item was more police at different times. Labor will deliver 12 extra police to the Chifley Police District.
Second was local roads. Labor has promised 900 Million extra dollars for regional roads. Also Labor are to review responsibility for certain roads and take of maintenance freeing council with extra money and resources to help with the currently local road maintenance backlog.
Third was a doctor at the hospital.
David Harvey (Greens) - Better maintenance of the public schools and improvements to the hospital.