Margaret O’Connor is looking to bring fresh ideas and positive actions as the Liberal endorsed candidate for the upcoming Armidale Dumaresq Council elections on September 8.
Margaret and her husband moved to the New England in 1998 in search of a rural upbringing for their children, leaving behind the stress of city living and the pressure of demanding jobs as city solicitors. Margaret has lived in Armidale for the past seven years, working both as a solicitor and in the family grazing business.
Margaret never planned to stand for council. However, after assisting residents from the Netherton Park Estate during the fight against the development application from Wickhams Freight Lines, she became concerned about the broader issue of development within Armidale Dumaresq.
“My other drive is that, as a member of the Liberal Party for 10 years, I see so many of my fellow Liberals doing sterling duty as councillors in other rural and city councils and I believe that it is a contribution that, if you can do, you should do,” said Margaret.
The critical issue that Margaret’s campaign will focus on for Armidale Dumaresq is “building our economic base”.
“We are facing immediate competition from the mining boom in NSW. Any growth that we may be hoping for is under threat of being drawn away from Armidale to places like Gunnedah, and Narrabri, the Hunter and even the Central West of NSW,” said Margaret.
“This is a threat to Armidale; and even Tamworth is going to become a major service centre and beneficiary of Coal Seam Gas extraction.
“Whilst I respect the great work that has been done on renewable energy in this region, it is a fraction of what is going to be needed to sustain growth and even survival for Armidale into the future. We have a wonderful resource here, and brilliant minds: we can and should be looking to broaden our economic base with innovative forms of development that complement our existing environmental and heritage assets.”
Margaret believes that we cannot afford to rely solely on the University, with no guarantee that it will always be there.
“The university has recently announced a major re- orientation towards online learning and so already we can expect a decline in the number of students in colleges and campuses,” Margaret said.
“Armidale as a service area for education is already under threat.
“We have been lulled into accepting that, because this a great centre for education, it doesn’t matter that when our children finish their education, many will disappear overseas or to other population centres far away. That puts stress on our community’s older people as they have to travel to support their children and grandchildren and, in turn, miss out on family support when they need it. We can have a broader vision for our community.
“I don’t accept that this is a reasonable outlook for our immediate to long-term future. There is no reason that the Northern Tablelands and Armidale as one of its major centres shouldn’t perceive itself as a place where our children can be born, grow, thrive and retire.”
Transparent spending of rates, and the revitalisation of the Armidale CBD are also on the agenda for Margaret.
“Too often, decisions are made without consultation. Good governments use the skill of their community.
“The CBD is our city’s showpiece; we will review the traffic and pedestrian arrangements for Beardy Street to revitalise the heart of Armidale.”
Margaret will be in the party room at Hungry Jacks on August 1 from 4-6pm and invites members of the community to come along to discuss issues that they feel are important to the future of Armidale.
