Adrian advocates a city of 'culture and heritage' in push for council

Adrian Beresford-Wylie said the council's special rate variation bid convinced him to run at the September 14 poll. But with the benefit of fresh eyes, he has a broader vision to advance the region.

He referenced a 2014 Regional Australia Institute study that compared Goulburn's and Orange's growth. It concluded that Goulburn had not grown at the same rate due to "lack of leadership."

"Goulburn is an undiscovered gem...and the opportunity is there to say we are a beautiful regional city with great architecture and beautiful cathedrals. We could be a city of culture and heritage," he said.

"Or role and future lies as a destination for tourists, not a stop-over for fuel and fast food. A place where people want to live because of the quality of life...It is all low-hanging fruit. Goulburn is that place already but we just need a council with vision to join with business to realise it."

Mr Beresford-Wylie and wife, Serena, bought a heritage home in Goulburn in 2012 and lived there on and off until their permanent move in 2021.

He was chief executive of the Australian Local Government Association for 15 years up until July, 2021 when he retired. Before this he spent five years as a public servant administering millions of dollars in federal grants to councils.

Mr Beresford-Wylie also had a long career as a diplomat, lawyer with a large Sydney law firm, corporate account executive with Telecom Australia and as ministerial adviser to former deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson.

He married a "Goulburn girl" and moved from Canberra to the same heritage street in which his wife's parents bought a home 100 years earlier.

Mr Beresford-Wylie said groups on heritage walking tours used to walk the street, but no longer. He wanted this revived but also for a council heritage advisory group to be restored, harnessing vital local knowledge.

He also sat on the Goulburn Rail Trail steering committee. Mr Beresford-Wylie said the project was awaiting funding, more work such as route selection, biosecurity and community consultation could be advanced now, cost-free.

"This is about being ready to dance when there is a partner," he said.

The council's bid to raise rates by 51.2 per cent over three years was a catalyst for his nomination. He joined the Goulburn Ratepayers Action Group, collected signatures for a parliamentary petition and heard people's feedback.

"The petition basically said there were 10,000 people here who didn't feel terribly well consulted (about the SRV)," Mr Beresford Wylie said.

"That is a pretty poor result for the council and then you have the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal saying one of your key jobs is to listen to the local community."

He argued Goulburn Mulwaree should have followed Eurobodalla Shire Council's lead in identifying efficiencies first rather than applying for a rate rise straight up.

Mr Beresford-Wylie said the resulting $250 rate rise would negate the federal government's stage three tax cuts.

"It's not something to be lauded that your council is making life more difficult in a cost of living crisis," he said.

He made a broad-ranging submission on the council's recent 2024/25 operational plan and advocated budget savings such as reviews of long-standing staff vacancies, IT expenses, fleet vehicle replacement and maximising returns from asset disposals.

The candidate said he still had questions about last year's budget which detailed $8 million to $9m in assets sold for about $3m due their "over valuation" on the books.

Mr Beresford-Wylie maintained councils everywhere had to be cautious about accepting grants.

"We have to recognised that while grants sound great upfront, they're (the funding bodies) going to walk out and leave you to run the whole of life infrastructure," he said.

"It doesn't mean we shouldn't accept them - just that we have to factor it in."

The council's asset depreciation bill is forecast to rise from $17.7m this year to $25m in 2024/25.

Mr Beresford-Wylie is advocating improved community consultation by the council, especially following the SRV. He said a regular newsletter would also advise people of the many good things the organisation did.

He believes a good councillor is one who listens and responds to the community.

As a relative newcomer to the area he says he has no illusions about the difficulty of being elected but is offering expertise and a fresh perspective.

"This is a community that's almost stagnated over the past 60 years' while Orange, Bathurst and Tamworth have grown. It's a city with enormous potential and there's an opportunity to be seized," he said.