After deliberating for some time, resident Rob Turner has decided to nominate as a Councillor for the up-coming Port Macquarie-Hastings Council elections.
“This council election is a critical moment in the history of our town and there is a great opportunity to begin with a clean slate to set an exciting and proactive culture within council for the future,” Mr Turner said.
“I think that, with my background and experience, I can offer a different perspective and add value to a council team.
As part of Mr Turner’s decision to nominate, he will be resigning as President of the Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce at the next Chamber Board Meeting.
He intends to stay on as a board member of Chamber and re-stand at the Chamber AGM in October.
“Essentially Council is a very large business which delivers services to the community and, like any business, it needs to be well run to ensure we get the best value for money.
“I have a solid business background, having owned and operated retail pharmacies for more than 20 years, and have been President of the Port Chamber for the last four years.
“Both of these roles have given me valuable experience in financial and business management as well as a good understanding of the local economy.
“Successful organisations measure success by their triple bottom line.
“We want successful organisations to have the right culture and treat all employees and stakeholders appropriately. We want them to be sustainable and minimise their impact on the environment. And we want to see responsible and accountable financial management. As a councillor, I would be looking for our council to achieve success on these benchmarks.”
In terms of specific future strategy and direction, three immediate areas of interest for Mr Turner are: the current review into the delivery of economic and tourism services; the upgrade of the airport; and the re-invigoration of the Port Macquarie Town Centre Masterplan including implementation of the next stage of works.
“In the mayoral election, I am supporting Peter Besseling’s campaign as I believe Peter will provide strong and effective leadership.
“I hold Peter in the highest regard, having helped manage his previous election campaigns.
“From this experience and from working closely with him in my capacity as Chamber President, it is clear we share a similar vision for our local area.
“For the election of councillors, it is my intention that Peter and I will form a group to contest the ballot.”
