Litchfield Mayor candidate Mark Sidey says he’s keen to deliver a new vision and resolve division with the current council, committing to keep rate increases low while enhancing services, make disposal of domestic waste items free and expand reserves for recreational use

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And we know the council race well and truly underway.
Today we are focusing on Lichfield, catching up with a
few of the candidates. You just heard from Doug Barton,
and we are giving each of the candidates six minutes.
But we've had a few listener questions in so we'll
also ask a couple of those now joining us live
on the line. Is our next candidate, Mark Side?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good morning to you, Mark, Good morning Katie. Great to
be with you again.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, wonderful to have you on the show. Now, are
you ready to get started? Bring it on, let's do
it all right? Why did you decide to put your
hand up to be mayor?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
I put my hand up to be mayor because I
think although we've done a lot in the last four years,
we've repaired the budget, we've focused on the simple things,
you know, roads, reserves, rubbish. I think there's a slightly
different vision or for council moving forward in the next

(01:02):
four years and that's why I've put my hand up
for mayor.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
So in terms of your qualifications or work experience, what
would you say that you've done that make you best
place to take on the position.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
I've been a south Wall councilor since twenty twenty one,
a member of Council's Audit Committee since twenty twenty one,
lagant representatives since twenty twenty one, I've been a member
of the steering committee for the ten million dollar Threads
Past Reserve lighting and netbal facility upgrades and construction. I
have extensive local government experience as an employee in the
areas of financial management, workh health and safety, human resources

(01:37):
and governments, and apart from being a councilor for the
last four years, I've also worked in senior local government
roles for the excess eight years, and I've consulted to
local government on risk, liability and insurance matters for the
past twenty twenty five years. But I suppose more importantly,
no single person can claim ownership of over the progress

(02:00):
Lichfield Council has made in the past four years because
we are a team. In the last twelve months, councilors
on council have become increasingly divided because of a number
of contentious decisions. I think I'm the best person to
bring council back together and move forward for Lichfield.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Now, mark in terms of you know your commitment, so
I know that you sort of mentioned then a new
approach in terms of delivering some of these different commitments.
But what would you say your top three commitments to
voters in the Litchfield municipality.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
My top three commitments are to keep residential and general
rates increases to a minimum while providing enhancing expanded services.
We can do this through proper budget management, and I
would love to make the point that this year our
rates increases three percent, which is exceptional. I will also
have domestic waste items currently been charged for for disposal,

(02:58):
including fridges, air conditions and tires, et cetera, made free
of charge. I tried to bring this in last year.
There was a compromise I suppose with a with a
voucher system, and now that we have figures on the
voucher system, we know with our existing revenues we can
offer these services, this disposal of this type of waste

(03:20):
to our constituents free of charge, and I'll be very
strong on that. The other thing is I want to
focus reserves have rightly been focused on, but I want
to expand this r to recreation. Now that is reserves,
that is our new community library, that is increasing the

(03:41):
bike paths, so not so much, so I want to
expand the focus to provide more recreational opportunities for the
entire Litchfield demographic.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Now, a question that we're asking all of the candidates.
Are you a member of a political party or have
you ever been?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
I can categorically say I'm not a member of any
political party, and I have never been a member of
a political party. So the information provided by Doug Barton
previously is inaccurate and incorrect.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
So not a member of the CLP.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Definitely no, Sorry, not definitely not. No, I've never been
a member of the CLP or the Labor Party, and
I'm not presently a member of the COLP or the
Labor Party. And I've never been a member of any
political party, and I'm not presently a member of any
political party.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
You just said that a little bit weirdly at the moment,
So you said not definitely not, but you're definitely not.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
I'm definitely not a member of any political party, nor
have I ever been confirming. It would be fair to
say that those who know me and have observed me
over the years, I consider myself center right, but I've
come back further to the center over the the past
four years because of live life experiences.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
All Right, a couple of listener questions that we've had,
and I asked these to Doug as well. Does the
Council have any plans to completely take over the operation
of Fred's Pass Reserves.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
This has been a discussion within council for the past
four years. No definite decision has ever been made and
at the moment the status quo remains.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
I mean, do you think that they should take over?

Speaker 2 (05:35):
I do not have a strong opinion one way or another,
as long as the model in place is fit for
purpose for the reserve and Litchfield constituents and users.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
Hey another one, where do you see the future of
the Fred's Past show. We're being told that it could
be relocating to Livingstone Reserve. I mean, what are your
thoughts on that?

Speaker 2 (06:01):
That has been mentioned, but it is my understanding there
was mentioned in the context of next year's Polo Cross Nationals,
which the preparation and running of that event conflict with
the time of the show. The regular time of the show,
so the idea to move to Livingston was floated. I

(06:22):
was not aware that it was supposed to be a
permanent move. I would suggest that moving it to Livingston
would create a lot of hurdles. There'd be a huge
amount of infrastructure that would need to be built at
significant cost, and also traffic management plans. I have no
idea how you control traffic floating amount of a relatively

(06:46):
confined road broad space in area.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, look, it does sound as there's still a bit
of discussion to happen there around Fred's pass show. Hey, Mark,
I'll ask you one more listener question to give you
the same amount of time as what Doug. And there
is another one that's come through. Watch your view on
Nunamar Ridge and the urbanization of Elizabeth Valley.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Okay, so I support the urbanization that has already been
approved in the whole Quaniti area. I think it will
add to our rate space. In relation to Elizabeth Valley,
Council made it very clear, and I'm one of those
that we did not consider the current opposal to have
enough information to make a properly informed decision. So at

(07:35):
the moment, I'm not a yes or no. I'm very
much in the in the spot of we need more
information so that properly considered decisions can be made.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, that is all we've got time for It is
fantastic to speak to you this morning. Really appreciate your
time and good to find out a little bit more
about what you're standing for for the Mayor of Lichfield.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Thank you very much, Katie, thank you too,