After a break of more than 13 years, a former Cobar Shire Councillor, Tony Chap-lain, is set to return to Council.
Tony was one of 11 candidates who nominat-ed to run for Council at the upcoming Local Government elections.
With 12 positions vacant and only 11 candi-dates, the election is uncontested and the 11 will automatically be elected.
Tony’s lived in Cobar since he was 13.
He went to Cobar High School, has worked in the mining industry for most of his adult life and chose to raise his family here.
Tony was first elected to Cobar Shire Council in 1999 from a group of 28 candidates. He joined what was a relatively new Council that only had three returning councillors, Cr Roger Jackson, Cr Lilliane Brady and Cr Peter Yench.
In 2002 he served for a term as deputy mayor to Mayor Brady and was popularly re-elected in 2004. He continued to serve on Council until March 2008 when he resigned his position.
“It’s always interested me to go back into Council and I think the time is right now,” To-ny told The Cobar Weekly on Monday.
Tony thinks this time around he’s a bit wiser and will have more time to devote to the role.
“I have more time on my hands.
“Previously I was a construction superinten-dent but I’ve had a bit of a ‘tree change’ and changed my role at the mine.”
Tony said it was the closure of the CSA Mine by Ashanti in 1998 that prompted him to first run for Council and it’s partly the current situa-tion with mining that’s also prompted him to run again.
“A lot of small towns struggle a fair bit and have done for a while.
“I think we have a lot to offer in Cobar, not just with the mines’ longevity, but with a lot of other things,” Tony said.
“As you come into our town, physically you can see some real good changes, like in the main street and at the museum and the parks, the new footpaths and those sort of things.
“Sometimes it’s the little things, that you think might not make much difference, but they do and I think they’ve made a positive impact.
“It’s a credit to the previous Council.”
Tony said he thinks what he’s achieved in his professional life, his experiences with meetings and dealing with a number of different person-alities over the years, coupled with his previous experience on Council, will all help with his next term on Council.
“I’m in the right mind set at the moment, a little bit older, and I have grandkids now.
“My lads were babies when I ran for Council previously. They’re grown men now and have their own children so there’s a bit more life experience to reflect on. Most of my family are still here in Cobar, my son and daughter and grandkids. I look at how my children have grown up and I look at the outside world and there’s a lot to offer in this small community.
“I think it’s untapped.”
Tony said this time in his role as a Cobar Shire Councillor he’s keen to pursue further avenues/services that will help to improve men-tal health in the community.
“I’m looking forward to working with the new group. It’s always a good mixture when you have experience and new ideas.
“I’m really hopeful that we can carry on some of the good work that’s been done previ-ously by the Council,” he said.
