In the time following Palerang’s merger with Queabeyan, the former councillor said he’s kept himself busy.

“I’ve been chairman of Regional Development Australia Southern Inland and looking after the prospects for the local area,” he said.

The Liberal candidate will be aiming for a spot on Queanbeyan-Palerang Council in the upcoming election, being part of the party’s first official ticket in the contest.

While he said the new merged council would undoubtedly be a different experience to the former Palerang Council, Mr Schweikert said he would be drawing on his past experience if elected.

“It’s about being able to take the skills that I have and take them to the community and coming through with the benefits,” he said.

“The council has amalgamated well, and we have a situation where the council is now greater than the sum of its parts.

“What we would like to make sure of is that the amalgamation is going to stick and give it every chance of success.”

Mr Schweikert has lived in Bungendore for 14 years, before that living in Queanbeyan after taking up a job with the Department of Defence.

During his time living in the area, he helped with setting up the Bungendore Neighbourhood Watch and also sat on the area’s traffic committee.

“Road safety is a big issue because of the Kings Highway, and we have a number of dangerous corners in places,” he said.

“Eventually, my children will be driving on those roads, and I want to be doing everything I can to make them safer.”

The Liberals will run their first ticket in this year’s council election, with Mr Schweikert saying the decision to do so came after similar tactics used by other major parties during the last election.

“In the last Palerang election, the Greens and Labor ran on a ticket and also in Queanbeyan,” he said.

“People were asking at the last election where the Liberal ticket was, and this ticket will have a greater stake in being able to achieve outcomes and have a link with the federal government.”