BECOMING a councillor has been an “enjoyable and challenging” experience for John Fry.
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A candidate for The Greens, Cr Fry was the last of the nine councillors to be elected to Bathurst Regional Council at the September 9 local government election in 2017.
As a member of The Greens, one of his key campaign platforms was protecting and improving the natural environment, and that has been one of the thing he assesses ideas by during the decision making process on council.
Cr Fry said he has definitely been presented with challenges in his first 12 months in the job, but has ultimately enjoyed the experience.
“I’ve found it very rewarding,” he said.
“It’s been a great experience to get an understanding of how a big, dynamic regional city works.
“As much as I thought I knew Bathurst before I got on council, it’s been a completely different world.”
One of the things that has marred council since the mid-2000s was instability, there being six different mayors since 2006.
And it appears all that trauma has been largely left in the past, with Cr Fry feeling that the current group of councillors works well together.
“They are all very different, all have different supporters and all have different opinions, but in saying that I think we all get along very well,” he said.
In his short time on council, Cr Fry is most proud of the strides Bathurst has taken towards renewable energy.
“And I’m happy to see that we’ve got a more innovative design for new subdivisions,” he said.
Looking ahead, he wants to put more effort into policies relating to water security, climate change, chemical-free agriculture, energy efficient housing and the future of Mount Panorama.
The environment must be prioritised by council in the future, he said.
“I think it is critical for our future and our city,” he said.