JOHN Fry will lead a six-person Greens ticket at the Bathurst Regional Council election in September as he mounts his third bid to win a seat in the chamber.
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Mr Fry previously ran as an independent candidate at the former Bathurst City Council election in 2004 and in support of The Greens’ Tracey Carpenter on a below-the-line ticket in 2008.
Leading an above-the-line ticket this time round represents his best chance of winning a spot on council but it will likely be a tight finish for The Greens.
Ms Carpenter, who contested the 2015 state election for The Greens, secured about nine per cent of the primary vote across the Bathurst electorate.
However, a closer analysis shows The Greens polled more strongly across the Bathurst region than in neighbouring Oberon and Lithgow, putting them within striking distance of the 11 per cent of votes they would need to win one of nine councillor positions up for grabs in September.
Mr Fry said local government was the perfect platform for The Greens’ sustainability policies.
“Local government is the best place to start because it is responsible for waste, water and land management,” he said.
“There is the responsibility to manage the environment not just in town but also in the villages and rural community.”
Mr Fry is a long-term Peel resident and has previously worked on the former Evans Shire and Bathurst City councils.
He has spent the past 25 years managing and designing environmental programs, working with stakeholders including local farmers and the Federal Government’s Green Army program.
The number two on his ticket, Bathurst Wholefood Co-op manager Cathie Hale, said it was important for women to be represented on council – while acknowledging she was unlikely to win a spot this time round.
“But hopefully seeing women running will encourage more to have a go, and it is also about confidence,” Ms Hale said.
“I feel I’m in alliance with John’s views and I have known him for some time but this is a toe in the door for me with regard to council.
“Who knows what could happen next time?”