Would change Cultural and Civic Space if elected

Too late to stop it, but it could be changed, says Mayoral candidate in relation to the Cultural and Civic Space.

The 'Together we'll fix it' team Tammy Mills-Thom, Nikki Williams, John Lardner and Rodger Pryce. Photo by Janine Watson.

The leader of the newly announced ‘Together, we’ll fix it’ team running for election to Coffs Harbour City Council says he is not aligned with any political party.

Rodger Pryce says he knows Gurmesh Singh and Melinda Pavey (Nationals Members for Coffs Harbour and Oxley) “very well” but adds:

“No, I have never been a member of any political party.”

He also says it may be too late to stop the controversial Cultural and Civic Space, but he would like to see changes made.

After a few false starts the team formally launched their campaign on Tuesday morning and confirmed the order they would be appearing in with Rodger, as mayoral candidate in top spot, followed by Nikki Williams, John Lardner and Tammy Mills-Thom in that order.

In a bizarre sequence of events in recent days current Coffs Harbour City Councillor Tegan Swan was widely reported to be running as number two on the ticket, but on Monday afternoon it was revealed she was off the ticket and would be running for mayor.

Cr Swan had wanted to run as number one on the councillor ballot, which she admitted was a little bit out of the ordinary.

“Tegan being an existing councillor; she wanted to go off and do something a little bit different to what our focus is,” Mr Pryce said.

“We wish Tegan all the best.”

John Lardner. Photo by Brad Greenshields

Asked what the first thing he would do if elected mayor Mr Pryce responded.

“Address the housing crisis and engage a team of forensic accountants to see why we pay some of the highest rates in NSW.”

The successful businessman and developer says he knows what it’s like to struggle.

“I grew up poor in New Zealand – the son of a dairy farmer, we were bloody poor.”

He estimates the price of residential land has gone up by 50 per cent in four years.

“And there are large tracts of land zoned residential that have been sitting there for 30 years still not developed.”

Number two on the ticket is businesswoman and mother of 10-year-old triplets Nikki Williams.

She is a third-generation local and has spoken out about a number of issued impacting businesses in the CBD including public drunkenness and drug use around the Woolworths carpark area.

Next on the ticket is John Lardner, Nana Glen local, Captain of the Rural Fire Service and Coffs Harbour Citizen of the Year.

Next is fourth generation local Tammy Mills-Thom.

The team is highly critical of the Cultural and Civic Space in the early stages of construction on Gordon Street, which they say will saddle every man, woman and child in the electorate with unacceptable levels of debt.

Mr Pryce says it is “probably too late to stop it” but if he was elected Mayor he would sit down with the builders to see what changes could be made.