THE future wants, needs and concerns of the Penola and Coonawarra district will soon be championed by two of the three candidates vying for Wattle Range Council’s Riddoch Ward.
Incumbent Dean Burrow will campaign alongside newcomers Rick Paltridge and Tania Shaw for the two seats at the council table to be the voice of the Penola district.
A majority of the Wattle Range Council candidates will appear at a special community forum at the Millicent Civic and Arts Centre on Tuesday from 6pm, giving council hopefuls another chance to outline their campaign ahead of the November 9 voting deadline.
All three Riddoch Ward candidates have outlined their key election policies on page 5 of today’s Pennant as South Australia’s Electoral Commission prepares its statewide mail-out of voting packs to residents.
AFTER the retirement of fellow Riddoch Ward councillor Rob Thornett, Dean Burrow has again stood up as a voice for the Penola community, nominating to represent the district on Wattle Range Council.
Seeking a third term in local government, Mr Burrow believes his experience will be an asset to the community with his eight-year term coming on the back of a career working for council before retirement.
Moving to the region in 1981, Mr Burrow has been heavily involved in the community, including serving on the Town Square Committee, McCorquindale Park Committee, library board and the Greenrise Advisory Committee.
“I have been passionately involved in doing all I can to ensure our wonderful diverse and beautiful district is both maintained and where possible improved,” he said.
“There is still a lot of scope to improve the quality of our roads, footpaths, drains, parks and gardens and recreational facilities.”
Over the years Mr Burrow has helped secure funding for many projects including drainage works in the town’s centre to prevent flash flooding and storm water back ups.
He has also campaigned for better access to Greenrise Recreational Reserve due to the Penola Bypass Project cutting off residents from the facility.
“It will be necessary to cross a 110km zone to access the recreation facility,” he said.
“I have been pushing to get better access for residents so they can safely enjoy the reserve.
“I would have liked to see an underpass built, but unfortunately that is not possible, so even a refuge island would be beneficial.”
The tourism side of the bypass is also something Mr Burrow is dedicated to working on.
With council promising to erect entrance signs at both ends of the bypass, residents have raised concerns about whether it will be enough to entice visitors.
Mr Burrow believes a concerted effort towards tourism is a must to keep the township thriving.
“We need to boost tourism in the region with the bypass nearing completion,” he said.
“Penola and Coonawarra must maintain their identities, we cannot just rely on signs.
“I believe the bypass is beneficial, but we must make sure the balance is perfect.”
Mr Burrow is also keen to see Tricia Reschke Road revamped with bitumen to protect the town’s livelihood.
“There are strong similarities between a well run home and a well run council,” Mr Burrow said.
“Most people cannot have a well maintained house if the family has expensive holidays every year, goes out to expensive restaurants every week or lives on take away food.
“The same goes for council – we cannot spend money on new roads, new sporting grounds, parks and gardens if we do not maintain the dirt roads to enable our primary producers the ability to get their produce to market.”
Although Mr Burrow was sad to see Mr Thornett step down from his position, he hopes to build a similar relationship with the ward’s newest councillor if reelected.
“Rob Thornett and I worked very well together,” he said.
“We cooperated well and managed to get some key issues brought to the table.
“If I am reelected, I would like to work alongside someone in a similar fashion.”
WITH local council election campaigns in full swing ahead of the November 9 ballot, Riddoch Ward hopeful and local government newcomer Tania Shaw is stepping up to the plate.
Vying for one of two ward positions on Wattle Range Council, Ms Shaw will face incumbent councillor Dean Burrow and fellow first-timer Rick Paltridge at the election.
Although it is her first time nominating, Ms Shaw has a vested interest in the community as a fourth-generation resident and lengthy background in the agricultural sector.
Ms Shaw has spent almost her whole life in the Wattle Range district, with the exception of her secondary and tertiary education.
“My family have lived here for more than 100 years,” Ms Shaw said.
“The area is close to my heart and something I am incredibly proud of.
“I am dedicated to ensuring its progress for future generations.”
In the lead up to nominations, Ms Shaw researched the role of a councillor, speaking to different community members, former councillors and also sought insight from Mr Burrow.
Ms Shaw said it was important to better understand what was required before committing to the process.
“I strongly believe in doing your homework before getting yourself into anything,” she said.
“I felt it was very important for me to make sure I could adequately represent my peers, so speaking to others with experience was a must.”
With ties to agriculture, Ms Shaw believes nurturing the industry – in addition to viticulture and forestry – is vital for the region, but a focus on moving forward with new industries must be highlighted.
“To keep growing as a region we need to focus on value adding and building new industries to complement what our region is already producing,” she said.
“This needs to be encouraged to promote job growth, which will in turn help keep our youth in regional areas.
“Our challenge as a community is to promote the assets of our region, people are moving to metropolitan areas every day due to our lack of services in the country.”
Ms Shaw also believes the importance of looking after our region’s natural resources cannot be overstated.
“Many people are relieved with the recent passing of the 10-year ban on fracking, however we need to be vigilant as this ban has not yet passed through the final stages,” she said.
“Any activity in the future which has the potential to threaten or damage our shallow quality water aquifer is of great concern.
“We need to continue to keep this in mind for generations to come.”
With the forecast completion of the Penola Bypass project, Ms Shaw will focus on ensuring the upgrade goes to plan in addition to bolstering the town’s tourism prospects.
“Tourism and the economic health of Penola and Coonawarra is something I am going to be focusing on,” she said.
“With so many vacant businesses on our main strip, we need to put plans into action to keep the township thriving.”
Ms Shaw believes if elected her key role will be to champion local concerns.
“I want to reflect the wishes of those in Riddoch Ward,” she said.
“Everyone should feel comfortable voicing their ideas and concerns to me.
“I admire the tenacity, independence and spirit of residents within the area and I would like to give Riddoch Ward an effective voice.”
PENOLA resident Rick Paltridge is one of two new faces vying for a seat on Wattle Range Council’s Riddoch Ward in the upcoming election.
Mr Paltridge has nominated himself for a role on council after living in the community for over 55 years.
An active contributor to a wide range of community, school, sporting, cultural and service organisations in the region, Mr Paltridge believes a position on council would be a continuation of his community work.
“I believe it is a privilege to serve your community,” he said.
“You need three elements to be a good councillor – time, resources and desire to do better – I have reached a point in my life that I am confident I possess all three.
“Doing what I can to give back has always been something I hold of high importance, this is just natural progression.”
Mr Paltridge has held membership of the Penola Kalangadoo Apex Club, Riddoch Art Gallery Board of Management, Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, McCorquindale Park Board of Management Committee and Reels Film Society – which he chaired.
He remains an active, long-time member of the Penola Show Society and is currently chairperson of the International Beefsteak and Burgundy Convention.
In addition to his community work, Mr Paltridge also has a vested interest in the agriculture industry, running a family-based cattle operation.
Primary industry concerns are something Mr Paltridge will raise if elected to council.
“There’s more to council than roads, rates and rubbish,” he said.
“We need to ensure the survival of our industries in the region, including viticulture and agriculture, to keep Penola and Coonawarra thriving.”
Mr Paltridge believes Penola has grown exponentially in the past 30 years from a service town to a tourism destination.
“The town used to be for grabbing your paper or your milk and bread, we did not have the tourism attractions that we do now,” he said.
“These days Penola and Coonawarra is a tourist hub and that is something I feel strongly about promoting.
“We have many wonderful assets we need to be capitalising on.”
With the bypass project set for completion in 2020, Mr Paltridge has assured he will endeavour to keep tourism alive.
“The bypass is an asset to our region and must be seen as such,” he said.
“Tourism will boom without trucks down the main street bothering people.
“It was something we needed to do for many years and I’m sure it will be greatly beneficial.”
Having spent time overseas and interstate, Mr Paltridge said the feeling he gets when returning to Penola is unparalleled.
“There’s nothing better than coming home to Penola,” he said.
“When you reach the border and know you’re almost home, it does not get any better than that.
“I think that just proves how wonderful our region is.”
Confident he can represent the community’s desires, Mr Paltridge is looking forward to the democratic process.
“It’s important people have a choice, so I am more than happy to be up against two other nominees,” he said.
“I am looking forward to the campaign process and what the future will hold.”
