The Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council election in September will provide a lot of faces, both new and old, for residents to pass judgement on at the ballot box.
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It’s going to be a case of hoping to go one better at this election for Labor candidate and Jerrabomberra resident Brian Brown.
After finishing second in mayoral voting in the 2012 Queanbeyan election, Mr Brown has confirmed that he wants to lead an all new council that he is optimistic about.
He said council would longer be controlled by certain groups or individuals.
“It’ll have to be a council led by consensus - which is a good thing,” he said.
“You can achieve so much with proper consultation and actually talking to people.”
“Anything I’ve done in life - even with my own kids - you get the best outcomes when everyone is willing to give a little.”
Aside from his time as a Queanbeyan councillor, Mr Brown spent 10 years in artillery in the Australian Army. He has served on public committees including the Jerrabomberra Residents Association and was integral to bringing the Bendigo Bank to Jerrabomberra Village.
As the son of rural families in Tumut and Scone, Mr Brown feels he is prepared to deal with the breadth of issues the roughly 15,000 new residents of Palerang bring, should he be elected.
If successful, Mr Brown has committed to championing the introduction of wards in the first term of council to “ensure we get fair and equitable representation.”
In addition, Mr Brown said he was running on a platform to deliver lower rates through funding council projects more sustainably, increasing investment in Queanbeyan businesses and equal investment in suburban centres and the CBD.
Whether Brian Brown will have a chance to implement these plans won’t be decided until September 9, but there’s one thing that the father of five is certain of.
“Local government is what I’m passionate about,” he said.
“You can drive down the street and see what you’ve achieved.”