Candidates’ Comments/Opinions

Solar panel recycling and the growth of renewable energy in the Armidale region.

It’s no secret Armidale has become a centre for solar, we already have solar farms and more are planned, then add 1 in 3 houses having solar and the number of panels in our region would stretch past the 100,000 mark.

The question is what happens to these panels when the fail?

Many of these panels are low quality and have a life span as low as 2 years.

If you research solar panel “recycling” many people will claim to be doing this however dig a bit deeper and no one has a complete recycling solution, most extract the easy and valuable materials and dump the rest yet claim to “recycle” these panels.

This wasn’t good enough for my grandson Nick and I, being in the solar industry and responsible for over 10,000 panels being installed through our business over the past 27 years, we felt obligated to develop a whole solution to solar panel recycling as even the best panels will reach there end of life at some point.

With this we contacted the UNSW SMaRT research centre headed by Professor Veena Sahajwalla who have a reputation for pioneering world leading research in recycling for products including glass, textiles and tyres.

We have established a partnership with Veena and her team to develop a whole solution to panel recycling. We have a process where a solar panel will come in and no waste comes out, instead the panel is turned into new products which are highly desired around the world.

With Armidale and Guyra being central between Sydney and Brisbane and our own plethora of solar panels in this region it is an obvious place to build a facility to recycle panels. This would add much needed jobs to the Armidale community, from factory workers to management, cleaners, truck drivers and many more. Not to mention the jobs created by business who use our products in their own processes.

I don’t just say we need more jobs but am actively working on making this happen.

(Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh Road Armidale NSW 2350)

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Diversity of Councillors Needed to Represent Different Community Values and Aspirations in the Council

Well, we are into the 3rd Pre-Polling Day.

I spent time on Saturday and Monday at the Armidale Town Hall handing out how to Vote cards on behalf of Group E (Community First Independents) and speaking with a few voters on their way to the Town Hall.

There is a range of posters displayed on the footpath near the Town Hall by those standing for the council from the Groups, Parties and individual candidates.

We all work together to share the space sometimes playing jokes with each other as well. This is what makes Armidale region great. Irrespective of our policy and value differences, we get along. Diversity matters.

It is important that the next council has a diversity of councillors representing a diversity of opinions, interests, viewpoints and issues.

After all a Local Council should be the venue for representative democracy.

Therefore, electing a majority of councillors from one group is not a good idea especially if that group has not shown it cares for the community interests in the past.

New blood is needed to bring in fresh policy ideas, programs and critical assessments of where we are heading, is it the right way or whether there are alternative ways of making our council an efficient vehicle for common good and future prosperity?

This is our home our future.

We need to make it great again by focusing on liveability and sustainability with water security, better infrastructure, emnhanced connectivity, budget management, living within means and community collaboration.

#armidale
#robtaber
#councilelections2024
#communityfirst
(Written by Siri Gamage and authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh road Armidale NSW 2350)

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Many Issues Emerging During the Campaign.

During the last term of the council, it is well known that the information coming out about the council’s activities was tightly controlled. With the start of campaigns by various independent groups and individual candidates, significant issues affecting our LGA have come to light. Among these is of course the fact that our water security is not guaranteed. While the council has obtained advice from Public Works, its report is yet to be disclosed. There are conflicting statements about the recommendations by Public Works. For example, we don’t know whether it is recommending Oaky Dam repair and pipeline building over Malpas Dam wall raising, or the other way around, or both? Group E is advocating that Malpas should be our priority along with Guyra Dam because the repair of Oaky will need more than 120m -the money we don’t have.

A second major issue emerging is the re-development of Armidale CBD. Small businesses are hurting due to lack of customers, foot traffic, lack of preparedness by the council to hold events in the mall etc. Most visitors to town by pass the mall. There is no prominent signage showing the direction of our mall to motorists who travel on Marsh and Barney streets. These are simple things that the council do to make life of our small business community thriving. At either end of the mall Council can erect an electronic billboard with details corresponding to businesses located in the mall. However, the council has been pre-occupied with advertising itself in the last term (Have you seen the two ads on the wall of toilet at Rolagas fields where it says Proudly Sponsored by ARC?).

If elected we in Group E will seriously attempt to work with other councillors and put the council on the right path to achieve results with proper community consultations-not promote itself. This is why we call ourselves -Community First Independents

For further information see our Website: http://communityfirstindependents.com 

or our Face book page with similar name

(Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh Road Armidale NSW 2350)

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Candidates Forum Last Night in Armidale (4.09.2024)

No doubt that the water issue dominated discussions. Several Group leaders and other candidates mentioned this as a priority. The new council has to decide on the way forward. A significant investment by the council is required as the State government will only fund 50% of the cost of raising dam walls etc. In general information to support future growth is mentioned as absolutely necessary.

Dorothy Robinson stated that ” Residents should not subsidise intensive farming”. She was referring to water usage I believe. She emphasised the need for clean air and healthy environment as well as climate action.

Bradly mentioned cost of living and its effect on underrepresented groups. He needs more democracy. He believes the council has prepared the plans now we need councillors and visionary leaders to implement the plans.

Jenny Wild mentioned there is a disconnect between council and community. Need for addressing problems with resources we have is essential. She has heard that a DA has been in council for 2 years without a resolution.

Rob Taber wants another industrial area near the airport to attract larger businesses. In terms of the 4000 new jobs to be created in Council plans, he asked where the jobs will come from? Where ae the housing and water? Eli Imed informed that there is no return in building houses for investment. He also referred to the water issue in Guyra.

Sam said that the jobs will come from engine room industries e.g. horticulture, manufacturing. New housing lots have been identified for development.

Margaret mentioned that we need to review the public works consultancy report about water security. She also wanted to find out why we lost 27M state government grant to raise Malpas dam? She asked whose responsibility it is to provide water?

Rail Trail vs Trains

Considerable discussion took place on this during the open question segment. Jenny Wild said she can live without a rail trail but not without a vision”. She has family members who work for rail but she doesn’t think that the trains will come in her lifetime. To get trains you have to line up several external agencies to get support.

Eli Imed believes that the council will not be able to get TFNSW to approve rail trail. It takes such a long time to get a decision from TFNSW. he asked why is the council opposing David Peter’s organic food project?

Rob Taber is not against rail trail. It can be built on the side of the rail line without removing the rail. It has been done in Queensland. He is involved in a development in Guyra for which he needs rail. “Leave that rail line alone” he remarked.

According to Margaret, the presumption that trains are not coming is a joke. Main North line is a critical one in case other lines get affected by climatic events. Now there are questions about the Inland rail also. Freight industry is also concerned about climate change and its impact.

A question was addressed to Sam Coupland as to why the rail trail cannot be built on the side of existing rail line leaving a gap between the two? He cited two reasons. First is choke points such as near cuttings. Second is cost. He said according to reports, it will cost 2-4 times (but he did not mention which reports?). He asked why we need to preserve the rail line? is it to keep the dream alive? To restore the line State government money is required but it has no intention to do so.

Eli thinks that private sector should be involved in restoring the train line. At present there is an offer to do so (he was referring to David peters project and willing ness to invest in the rail line). He said the council is obstructing this businessman. (Sam denies the council has been obstructing David Peters) Eli supports any business wanting to come to the region.

Margaret wants the new council to pass a resolution to support David Peters Plan to relocate his Organic Food business to Llangothlin. Council ought to support such manufacturing enterprises. Rob Taber also had negotiations with David Peters. He seems to be a serious investor wanting council support. There is a meat company also wanting to use the rail line.

Some candidates stated that if there is a viable way of returning rail, they support the idea. One said, “let’s see how we can encourage State government to invest in the line”.

Preparing for climate crisis was another topic discussed during the last segment of Qs. Sam said he takes it seriously. There is already an Advisory Group to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 with UNE and Council. Veronica (Group D) mentioned that we need to leverage expertise at UNE. Our strategies should align with UNE ones. Clear communication and engagement needed.

Another person from the audience requested the council to listen to the community. At present it is dividing the community as a result of the rail trail plan.

In responding to a question from the floor as to whether the council has been blocking David Peters project, Sam said there has not been any meaningful engagement with David for 18 months. He has not lodged a DA. Council is not involved in day to day operations. He said Council has not been blocking David’s project.

Note: Council can do more to assist businesses like David Peters’ Organic food processing industry. Move away from the current “hands off” attitude to a more proactive approach to attract new businesses and industries.

Other Issues mentioned

Youth disengagement

Poor Council-community relations, lack of listening/consultation

Fair rates

Low cost energy

Water tanks

Plan for water efficiency

(Based on my notes from the Forum)

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Election for Armidale Regional Council -Moving Forward Together

From the information available, it appears that there are many unresolved core issues pertaining to our Local Government area. One being water security. Mayor Sam Coupland’s latest post shows that if we are to have water security in the future, we should be prepared to pay for it possibly with a 50% government contribution (not confirmed yet?).

We also need to work hard to get Rex airline back to Armidale 0r to get another budget airline. Many residents cannot afford high airfares from Armidale to Sydney and Brisbane. Better connectivity between our LG area with large population and service centres to the north and south has been one of my main concerns for some time. We ought to be able to travel easily with affordable fares to such centres for our medical, recreational, family and other matters. it is here that the council can play a much better role by advocating for a better deal for ground transport with both levels of government. I think the current council has not done enough in this area. If elected this will be one of my main priorities. I support better bus services to Guyra and other locations and re-opening northern railway line for rain services north of Armidale (for passenger, heritage and freight trains). Already there are proposals in the pipeline for such endeavours.

I also support the construction of rail trail without removing the rail line. There are other examples from elsewhere for this option. To adopt a policy where only one option is considered for the rail trail (where the rail line is to be removed) without carefully considering other options and their viability is not the right way. We ought to join forces as a community and seek a better deal from the NSW government by way of better investments -rather than relying only on one option that involves cost shifting to the council.

There are other improvements to be made in council operations. 58% rate rise over 3 years introduced by the current council is starting to bite. It is hitting the hip pockets of local residents and rate payers at a time when cost of living pressures are high anyway. Greens are proposing to delay the 3rd instalment. I support this suggestion. Compared to rates in Sydney even, our rates are very high. Funds raised by the rate rise need to be spent carefully on “essential needs”-not on fancy projects.

So before we can talk about GROWTH, we ought to look after the welfare and needs of our residents and rate payers first. This is why Group E is titled as Community First Independents. I hope that you will consider voting for our group so that we can move forward together while addressing our core issues wisely.

(Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh road Armidale NSW 2350)

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Some Armidale Regional Councillors have all of a sudden become very interested in raising the wall at Malpas Dam. Could this have been after I ’spilt the beans’ on the lost $27 million (for the Malpas Dam extension) that never quite made it into the NSW state budget in 2022.

I have attached two screenshots from the Council’s business paper from March 23 2022. The first is the recommendation from the Public Works Authority’s Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy (IWCM), that Council should consider two strategies:

1.  To purchase Oaky River Dam (as a second water source) and
2. To raise the wall of Malpas Dam by 6.5 meters.

So far I was in total agreement, until I read that the time frame for the Malpas Dam project was 2042! Here’s me naively thinking “But they have the $27 million for the work at Malpas Dam now so just get on with it!” Little did I know that that money never made it into the NSW state budget for 2022/3. I found this out only a four months ago by asking questions of an Upper House MLC, not from our Council. How long did they know that the money never was!

The second attachment are the Minutes from that same meeting (23/03/2022) where Councillors unanimously adopted the Public Works Authority’s recommendation. Did they not see that Malpas Dam wasn’t scheduled to be done until 2042 for goodness sake!

Some of those Councillors, who are also candidates in this election, now think that Malpas Dam is the one that should be done first (political expediency me thinks!), however, that’s not what they voted for in March 2022!

If one or two candidates from Group E get elected on 14 September we will demand to know why the extension of Malpas Dam wasn’t always the priority work and what happened to the $27 million, and we will go searching for more funding to finish the job that Mayor Lloyd Piddington started all those years ago, by using his casting vote to get #MalpasDam built.

Authorised by Rob Taber 642 Dangarsleigh Road Armidale NSW 2350

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Election for Armidale Regional Council -Moving Forward Together

From the information available, it appears that there are many unresolved core issues pertaining to our Local Government area. One being water security. Mayor Sam Coupland’s latest post shows that if we are to have water security in the future, we should be prepared to pay for it possibly with a 50% government contribution (not confirmed yet?).
We also need to work hard to get Rex airline back to Armidale 0r to get another budget airline. Many residents cannot afford high airfares from Armidale to Sydney and Brisbane. Better connectivity between our LG area with large population and service centres to the north and south has been one of my main concerns for some time. We ought to be able to travel easily with affordable fares to such centres for our medical, recreational, family and other matters. it is here that the council can play a much better role by advocating for a better deal for ground transport with both levels of government. I think the current council has not done enough in this area. If elected this will be one of my main priorities. I support better bus services to Guyra and other locations and re-opening northern railway line for rain services north of Armidale (for passenger, heritage and freight trains). Already there are proposals in the pipeline for such endeavours.

I also support the construction of rail trail without removing the rail line. There are other examples from elsewhere for this option. To adopt a policy where only one option is considered for the rail trail (where the rail line is to be removed) without carefully considering other options and their viability is not the right way. We ought to join forces as a community and seek a better deal from the NSW government by way of better investments -rather than relying only on one option that involves cost shifting to the council.

There are other improvements to be made in council operations. 58% rate rise over 3 years introduced by the current council is starting to bite. It is hitting the hip pockets of local residents and rate payers at a time when cost of living pressures are high anyway. Greens are proposing to delay the 3rd instalment. I support this suggestion. Compared to rates in Sydney even, our rates are very high. Funds raised by the rate rise need to be spent carefully on “essential needs”-not on fancy projects.
So before we can talk about GROWTH, we ought to look after the welfare and needs of our residents and rate payers first. This is why Group E is titled as Community First Independents. I hope that you will consider voting for our group so that we can move forward together while addressing our core issues wisely.

(Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh road Armidale NSW 2350)

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In the social media and public posts there is a lot of empty hype about “growth”. According to the plans developed by Armidale Regional Council in the last term (this is the only major achievement it seems!), three areas are mentioned. 1) Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), 2) Horticulture 3) Manufacturing.

REZ: REZ and various renewable energy projects by private sector companies are not council initiated enterprises. REZ is a State significant project combined with the new transmission line. Billions of dollars are being invested in these projects. Flow on effect for the council is that the council has negotiated some payments by companies to assist with performing its role when it comes to providing services. However, there is a lack of transparency about such payments and where the money will be spent? Housing for temporary workers is another flow on effect. Council’s future housing plan is partly to address temporary worker housing shortage. This is fine but the problem I have is that these housing zones are to be connected only by cycling paths?

Horticulture: This is water intensive agriculture. Council has failed to nominate a single new horticulture project coming to our LG area in the next few years. Planning is good but a plan has to be accompanied with strategies to attract new industries in growth drivers as the council prefers to call. A major problem here is the lack of water security for the existing population and industry let alone new ones after Rob Richardson (our candidate No 2) revealed that the 27m promised by a former politician representing Northern tablelands in 2022 is no more there to raise the wall in Malpas Dam? Now the council seems to focus on Oakey Dam (with broken wall) requiring over 100m to repair it and build a pipeline to Armidale. No idea where the money will come from to repair the dam wall and build pipeline? With water insecurity how can we move forward for growth in population, jobs, housing, industry etc?

Manufacturing: What manufacturing? Can the council nominate a single manufacturing facility that will come to our LG area as a result of the plans developed by the council for next 20 years? Are there any in the pipeline? When I posed this question in social media, someone who is a member of the local national party branch mentioned that existing businesses are investing more. He even gave the example of UNIPLAN. Here again, these are natural growth initiative by individual businesses. Nothing to do with Council’s growth plans. I cannot see any “Strategy” to attract more manufacturing to the LG area. Expanding the business park near the airport can be one option. If we are elected to the council, we will identify various strategies to attract more businesses and industries to our area. In relation to this, starting a freight rail connection to Armidale and beyond can be a growth driver. Council needs to be an active advocate of this with the NSW and federal governments.
(Authorised by Siri Gamage 6 Crest Road Armidale NSW 2350)

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Regional Ground Connectivity is the Key to Growth and Success

This is a very important aspect that the current council has ignored during its term in office.

We all know that since the pandemic, there is no public transport connecting Armidale LG area to Brisbane, Queensland. People are compelled to drive (not many can do so) or use flights that are expensive. Only rail line connecting Armidale to Queensland remains non-operative.

While I understand that public transport is not the responsibility of a council, looking at the way other progressive councils function, at the least our council should be able to advocate for better public transport for the LG area including reactivation of the rail line north of Armidale with both levels of government.

Instead, ARC has been pushing a plan to build a rail trail (bike track) in the rail corridor with a grant of 5.4m received from the government several years ago. The plan involves removing the rail line. This is unacceptable. The rail line should be preserved for future train services (freight, passenger and heritage) -not removed for recreational bike track. There are plenty of spaces for the council to build a bike track. In fact, I support such initiatives.

The motion passed by the council recently (proposed by Cr. Dorothy Robinson) requires the council to investigate practicalities of building the rail trail without removing the rail line. Community First Independent group members will insist on the council follows up on this – if elected.

Furthermore, to realise the Council’s future plans for the next 20 years, we need better transport infrastructure in the LG area -not less. For example, the council plans to build several cycling paths connecting proposed housing zones. While this is important, we cannot move forward by building bike paths. For the long-term growth and prosperity, we should be advocating for better investments in transport infrastructure so that our residents can move north and south in an affordable and convenient way. In particular we need to keep in mind the interests of those who do not have access to a motor vehicle or who cannot drive e.g. Vulnerable groups with medical and other needs.

We need a caring council that speaks for the community – not against it.

(Authorised by Siri Gamage, 6 Crest Road, Armidale NSW 2350)

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By Rob Richardson

It was as good to see James Roncon (GM of Armidale Regional Council) and four of his senior mangers at Monday night’s (12/08/24) meeting of the Armidale and District Ratepayers’ Association.
Whilst James and I share different views on, and the priority of, which water storage dam should be completed first (I’m for Malpas Dam and he seems to favour Oakey Creek Dam) we are in furious agreement on one thing, which is that water security for our region will be the number one issue for the new Armidale Regional Council.
If one or two members of Community First Independents get onto Council, we are committed to seeing the raising of both the Malpas Dam and Guyra Dam walls before work is even considered on the hugely expensive Oakey Creek Dam (or what’s left of it!) project.

Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh Road Armidale NSW 2350

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