Forbes Shire Council elections are coming up on December 4 and the Advocate is profiling our candidates beginning with current councillors who are going to stand again. They'll be featured, in alphabetical order, over the coming week ...
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The availability of residential land, the beautification of our CBD and upcoming improvements to our sporting fields are three of the key things Cr Jeff Nicholson is celebrating at the end of an extended five-year council term.
Cr Nicholson was chair of the economic development committee seven or eight years ago when they identified the shortage of building blocks as a key issue for Forbes.
The demand for housing has only grown, and Cr Nicholson was delighted to see the release of the first blocks of land in Goldridge Estate go on the market.
Development of the CBD is also right up there and it's not all about looking better, it's about comfort particularly in the hot summer months.
"We had a meeting with the Forbes Business Chamber and they were very concerned about the temperature in Rankin Street," Cr Nicholson said, explaining the heat on summer days was deterring pedestrians.
Plans to green the central business district have come a long way in the past
"It will be fantastic when it's all completed," Cr Nicholson said.
"We've got it all on the drawing board at the minute."
Heavily involved with local sport, Cr Nicholson's also particularly eager to see improvements to our sporting facilities take shape in the coming term after the approval of the over-arching Recreational and Open Spaces Strategy.
Junior sport, he points out, brings hundreds of people to our town every weekend, "and the dollars spent in town are fantastic."
Quality parks, such as Nelson Park and the aeroplane park, are so important.
Drawing industry and value-adding agricultural business to Forbes is key to the future, Cr Nicholson believes.
Forbes has demonstrated its resilience through drought and flood, and agriculture looks set to go from strength to strength.
Our industrial area still has capacity, he adds, and there's scope to take advantage of the shift away from metropolitan areas.
"We have got to concentrate on industry and agriculture and pushing them forward," he said.
"I think we have got a really great potential at the moment for businesses with anywhere from 20 to 50 employees, considering how regional areas are going."
With all this on the boil, Cr Nicholson would encourage more people to look at council as a way of serving their community.
"You've got to have time to do it," he added.
Being willing to ask questions, put your ideas forward, and stand up for your decisions are all key attributes to being in local government, he believes.
You can learn more about nominating for the December 4 local government elections on the Electoral Commission website.