Restoring East Dubbo to its former glory, making decisions based on the will of ratepayers and ensuring rates and water remain affordable are the key policies of Dayne Gumley if he is elected to Dubbo Regional Council.
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Mr Gumley has announced his intention to stand in the East ward and said he was motivated to run because he could see room for the improvement for Dubbo.
“I’ve always had an interest in council and my view is if you can contribute you should. Now is the right time for me to put me hand up,” Mr Gumley said.
“I think with the recent amalgamation and some of the previous councillors deciding not to nominate, it’s an ideal time for Dubbo and council to have a mix of experienced hands and some fresh faces.
Mr Gumley grew up in the Blue Mountains and arrived in Dubbo as a new resident eight years.
He said he hoped to be part of a consultative council that listened to residents rather than dictating to them.
“The third bin is obviously in the headlines and it just doesn’t seem right to me that an administrator should be making those decisions, particularly when there is so much backlash from the community about it,” he said.
“My view is councillors are there to represent the people who elect them and they should be consulted.
Mr Gumley said he had begun talking to people who fell in the East ward and found they were concerned the suburb had lost its standing and was affected by social problems.
“The people I have spoken to are a little bit concerned that what used to be the premier area to live is no longer seen that way,” he said.
“It’s not just that it’s older but it seems to have attracted the social problems of other areas.”
Mr Gumley said if elected he would push to keep council rates low and also cut red tape to make residential development applications more straight forward.
“I don’t think excessive rate rises are necessary, including water,” he said.
The community should be encouraged to use their backyards and if you can’t afford to keep the grass green, it doesn’t make it a very nice place to live.”
He said the new council would have an important role to reconnect with the community and restore the faith of ratepayers.