BOOSTING business in Millicent has been the motivation for local resident Michael Gurney to seek a place on Wattle Range Council.
Nominations for the 11 vacancies in the four-yearly elections do not open until September but the 58-year-old joins Millicent business owner Nicolle Looby-McRostie in making their local government aspirations known well in advance.
Nearly all of his life has been spent living and working in Millicent and Mr Gurney believes more can be done to revitalise his hometown.
“Millicent is stuck in the past and we are losing shops,” Mr Gurney said.
“We need to get more shops open, get business to come to Millicent and create work for our young people.
“The younger people are moving away as well as the young families so we need to work on getting Millicent back on track.
“We need to get more things happening in Millicent so more visitors will come to our town and spend money.
“That means the shops will be able to stay open and that can create jobs.”
Another part of Mr Gurney’s manifesto relates to waste management and recycling.
“We have a great waste transfer station at Millicent but we need to get sheds down there and create jobs for people to sort stuff that can be recycled,” he said.
“We need a salvage yard so people can get building materials and can afford to do projects.
“We are currently recycling wood to make mulch and we need to show other towns that Millicent is not going to be left behind as we are at the moment.”
Although hospitals are the responsibility of the State Government, Mr Gurney believes Wattle Range Council should be strongly advocating for a higher number of services at Millicent.
“We should not have to go to the Mount Gambier Hospital when we have a perfectly good one here.
“Sometimes the elderly cannot get to Mount Gambier, they do not like to be a burden on anyone and so they just do not bother.”
Mr Gurney has a downbeat view of the future of Millicent unless there is significant change.
“It is getting bad,” he said.
“We need people that will do things for our lovely town and not just shrug their shoulders and walk away and do nothing.
“It has to change now and not later down the track as there will not be a town.
“I’m not going to let that happen and we need change for the better.”
In terms of local knowledge, there are few people who can match Mr Gurney’s volunteer and work experience during the past four decades.
After attending primary and secondary schools in Millicent, the married father of one spent nine years as a volunteer firefighter with the Millicent and Mount Burr brigades of the Country Fire Service.
Another voluntary role was as a weekly presenter of a country music program for 17 years at Millicent’s community radio station.
Mr Gurney’s community spirit also prompted him to volunteer at the Sheoak Lodge aged care facility attached to Millicent and District Hospital.
“I used to go up there and play my country music records,” he said.
“I was also a part of the community visitor scheme.
“I would go and talk to men as they do not get a lot of visitors.”
Nowadays, Mr Gurney earns a living with a lawn mowing and garden maintenance round.
Over the years, he has worked at the Mount Burr Mill, Mount Gambier Mill and the Kimberly-Clark Australia Millicent Mill and had been a member of the outside work crew of the then Millicent District Council.
Mr Gurney has worked at Millicent’s former lobster processing factory, sold jewellery and been employed at the former Millicent Chickenland business.
He was a disc jockey for parties for four years and helped his son with a motor vehicle wrecking business.
“I try everything and have a shot,” Mr Gurney finished as he launched his bid for a seat on Wattle Range Council.
