The 2021 NSW Local Government elections are on this Saturday 4 December, and Queanbeyan-Palerang residents will go to the polls to decide who will form their next local government.
Eleven councillors will be elected to the Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council (QPRC). More than 70 candidates are running – 67 in nine groups, and four ungrouped candidates.
Here are groups F – J. You can find profiles on the other groups A-D here and ungrouped candidates here.
Group F: Independent (9 candidates)
Two-term QPRC councillor Kenrick Winchester leads Group F. He was a councillor on Queanbeyan City Council in 2012, then elected to the inaugural QPRC in 2017.
“I believe I have worked as hard as anyone to get out to all communities and help address their issues,” Cr Winchester said – including inspecting rural roads with residents from across the LGA.
“When a resident contacts me, I always reply and discuss their issue, and am always happy to travel and meet with them when required.
“I will ensure the next council works together on a consensus model as much as possible, and believe that we can constructively work together for the good of the community.”
Group F’s top election priorities are maintenance of rural roads, placement of the Bungendore High School, addressing lengthy Development Application waiting times, finalising the Braidwood Structure Plan, and keeping rates affordable.
“I believe there have been positives and negatives across the council term,” Cr Winchester said. “We have seen improvements to facilities such as the Braidwood Rec Ground and Ryrie Park; there will be a fantastic new playground in Bungendore soon, as well as all-new sporting precincts in Jerrabomberra and Bungendore.
“However, there have been some very disappointing decisions as well – the site of the new Bungendore High School, the site of the proposed Cemetery in Mount Campbell, the E4/R5 rezoning debacle at Wamboin, the loss of green space in Bungendore for a new car park (when another one is likely to be built very close by) are all examples where I don’t believe Council has listened to the community.”
Cr Winchester was born and bred in Queanbeyan; he married his high school sweetheart, and they live in Googong with three children. Cr Winchester chairs QPRC’s Youth Advisory Committee and the Disability Access Committee. He is the co-chair of the QPRC Sports Council and the Araluen-Majors Creek Locality Committee.
Outside local government, Cr Winchester has been the President of the Queanbeyan East Public-School P&C Association for five years, and was elected as a board member of the NSW P&C Federation this year. He is re-establishing a P&C at Karabar High School, and promises to create P&Cs at the new schools in Jerrabomberra, Googong, and Bungendore. He is also the vice-president of the Respite Care for QBN Foundation, and is working to establish a respite centre in Queanbeyan.
Cr Winchester is a member of the Labor Party, but is not an endorsed candidate of the ALP.
For more information, visit QPRC Councillor Kenrick Winchester | Facebook.
Group G: Independent (8 candidates)
QPRC deputy mayor Michele Biscotti leads Group G, promising “A strong future for QPRC”. Cr Biscotti was elected in 2017, and has served 12 months as Deputy Mayor.
“Our team are Queanbeyan-Palerang locals who live and love our home,” Cr Biscotti said. We are passionate and dedicated to building strong community foundations and the best possible future for our community.”
His team, he says, represents a balance of formal qualifications and extensive proven experience in areas that matter the most to the community: small business, sports, arts, parks, recreational spaces, and roads.
As Deputy Mayor, his achievements include upgraded and beautified city and town centres for Queanbeyan, Bungendore, and Braidwood, and new and upgraded sports grounds and facilities.
If re-elected, Cr Biscotti’s focus is to ensure the delivery of more than $200m of capital works and project across the LGA as detailed in the adopted Operational Plan 2021/22. This includes $150 million for Queanbeyan, $20 million for Bungendore, and $16 million for Braidwood.
Since the next elected term of Council is only two and a half years, Cr Biscotti believes it is critical the newly elected Council must deliver these major works (already impacted by natural disasters and a global pandemic) within budget and on schedule.
“It would be prudent for any candidate hopefuls not to over promise and underdeliver, but to deliver what has been promised,” he said.
“Responsible financial governance and management is critical to ensure the achievements of the NSW Government financial benchmarks through Council’s 10-year long-term financial plan. Any increase in rates must be affordable for all our communities.”
Cr Biscotti believes the Council must advocate for further Government funding for the LGA’s roads (including 1,500km of sealed roads and 740km of unsealed roads).
His vision for the LGA is of “a clean, green local government area that cherishes its natural and physical character”. (Last year, QPRC received the A.R. Bluett Award for being NSW’s most progressive and innovative council.)
“Our LGA is a dynamic and a thriving place which attracts economic activity. Should the ongoing revitalisation of town centres and green spaces (parks and rivers) continue, with open public spaces curated with streetscapes, lighting and landscaping sympathetic to our towns’ heritage and architectural themes, the Queanbeyan-Palerang LGA will continue to grow in a sustainable manner.”
Queanbeyan-born, and now living in Googong, Mr Biscotti was well-known throughout the region for his espresso-gelato bars. He served as a specialist ground soldier with the RAAF for eight years, and recently conducted logistics for the Australian Government in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
For more information, visit Group G – A strong future for QPRC | Facebook.
Group H: Independent (7 candidates)
John Mangos, an architectural technician, is running for politics for the first time, to make a change for the region. Mr Mangos says he would be “a people person who could help bring a new regional identity to the QPR”.
As a councillor, Mr Mangos said he would stand for openness, consultation, and transparency. He also stands for housing affordability and more efficient housing.
Mr Mangos thinks the region has an identity crisis. “It hasn’t quite come to terms with being a region yet, and there is still some bad sentiment about the forced amalgamation. Every one of the small regional centres has issues that need to be addressed, and it is a matter of putting them into a priority. … The fact that the ACT is so close is an asset [but] also stifles the development in this region. By looking at the big picture, you can identify the gaps and start filling them and bring the region together as a community.
“Queanbeyan has failed to live up to its expectations,” he also believes. “Now that it is a regional city, it has to do more to be that centre that helps the smaller regional towns and localities. With my unique experience and background, I feel I am perfectly placed to do that.”
Born and bred in the area, Mr Mangos says he has local knowledge and passion, and is well known for getting things done and getting to the core of a matter without any nonsense.
Mr Mangos has worked in and around Queanbeyan and Canberra since 1991, and in a regional role covering the ACT and Southern NSW. This includes running a design, draughting and illustration consultancy business, Monaro Region Blueprints; founding Glasstech Australia; and working as an infrastructure and project officer at ANU.
“I bring a unique perspective of viewing regional issues and business synergies. I look for ways to connect people and businesses.”
As a design consultant and architectural technician, he has been in constant contact with the council since 1991 on design issues for clients; and represented stakeholders at council meetings, on their own projects and on council issues in advancing DAs, interpreting the council’s development control plans, and issues relating to building standards. He has been the ACT & Southern NSW’s HIA GreenSmart trainer since 2012, and was responsible for the GreenSmart village in Bungendore in the early 2000s.
Group I: Liberals (6 candidates)
“The QPRC Liberal Team is pro-business and pro-employment,” says lead candidate Louise Burton.
“Business in our area needs less council interference in their plans and operations, and more support. Council is there to support the people, not the other way around. We need to enable and create an environment for business to succeed and provide opportunities for local work. In a hands-on way, this equates to better parking, reduction in fees and charges.”
A consultant to Government, she has lived in the Queanbeyan Palerang shire for the last 10 years.
“This is my community and home; there are political teams/groups vying to be on the council whose ideas I don’t agree with, and who I feel would not make decisions with the broader community’s best interests at heart. Though I work in an urban setting, I live rurally, and I recognise the needs of both lifestyles and their unique requirements. I want to secure the best opportunities and services for residents.”
This is Ms Burton’s first time running for office. She married into the Army, and her husband’s military postings took her to all Australian states. She has run her own small business, and been a long-time member of the Liberal Party in those states.
Ms Burton is seconded by current Mark Schweikert, who has been Liberal Councillor on the QPRC since 2017, and was a councillor on Palerang Council for the previous term. Ms Burton said his nine years in local government, including as former Deputy Mayor, and his 30 years in the party were a great foundation of corporate knowledge.
Roads and red tape are the issues facing the region, Ms Burton said.
“Red tape is deterring business ventures and start-ups; we should offer opportunities in our region, not deter them through bureaucratic procedures.”
Council needs to reduce the length of time for Development Applications, and review the process: “It is outdated, complicated, and frustratingly slow.” They support a Complying Development review. Application for farm buildings, pergolas, and carports that meet engineering standards should not require council DAs.
Pot holed bitumen and dirt roads are dangerous, Ms Burton said; the ability to maintain and seal them needs to be resourced.
The Liberals will support and endorse initiatives that apply and adopt climate change practices. The current QPRC Climate Action Plan includes installing solar panels on council buildings, replacing public lighting with LED’s deciduous tree plantings, and heat mapping. The Liberal team will lobby for electric and hydrogen vehicles, solar and wind farms, and green hydrogen.
In addition to the Liberal’s philosophies of support for business, the family, less government interference, and lower taxes, Ms Burton said, the QPRC Liberal Team is campaigning on a 9-point policy plan, available on their website.
For more information, visit Home | Queanbeyan Palerang Liberals.
Group J: Labor (7 candidates)
Group J, says lead candidate Bryce Wilson, would provide a strong Labor voice on Council with fairness and community values at its core; a Council that is progressive, inclusive, and advancing; and reconciliation with the local Aboriginal community.
Their ‘Positive Plan’ would deliver local jobs, and keep services in Council hands, and rates fair, Mr Wilson said. It would provide better community facilities, transport solutions, and affordable housing, and build a sustainable, cleaner, and carbon neutral QPRC.
“I think we need a more progressive council driving a better community and green jobs and tourism,” Mr Wilson said. “I think council also needs to engage better with our regional communities.”
Mr Wilson was Labor candidate for Monaro in the 2019 State election.
“I worked hard with the local community to push for better services, roads, and infrastructure in our region,” he said. “I want to take that drive on to the local Council, and ensure we have a strong Labor voice around the table.”
He is seconded by Esma Livermore, who if elected would become the first Aboriginal woman ever elected in the Queanbeyan Council (and QPRC) area.
“We have a fresh team … that represents our diverse community,” Mr Wilson said. “A team with experience and understanding of small business, the not-for-profit sector, and government.”
Mr Wilson lives in Jerrabomberra with his family, where he has been an active member of the local P&C and Residents Association. He became a teacher some years ago “to make a difference”, then worked in the not-for-profit sector at Reconciliation Australia, and now works in government. He has worked as an adviser to a Cabinet Minister.
“Running for local government is about making a difference in our community,” Mr Wilson said.
For more information, visit QPRC Labor | Facebook
