Bega Valley Mayor endorsed as Liberal candidate in next state election

NSW will head to the polls in March 2023 with Mr Fitzpatrick looking to unseat Labor's Member for Bega Michael Holland.

Mr Fitzpatrick has been on the Bega Valley Shire Council since 2009, and served as mayor for the past two years.

He also served on the board of Southern NSW Local Health District from 2010-21.

Many also know of his passion for sport, particularly junior sport, so it's worth noting he is a life member of both Group 16 Rugby League and Pambula-Merimbula Junior Rugby League, and was a Country Rugby League under 18s selector for seven years.

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The Bega electorate had been a Liberal stronghold until 2021, when Dr Holland won a byelection triggered by the resignation of Andrew Constance, who had held the seat since 2003.

Mr Fitzpatrick said he was not intending to get into any dirty politics or slanging matches about Labor versus Liberal and felt Dr Holland was the same way.

What he was planning to campaign on though were big issues like the spiralling cost of living, the housing crisis, and the state government's responsibility to support local councils with their roads and infrastructure renewal bills.

"The big fear in the commuity is the cost of living, and that the divide between our wealthy and poor just keeps getting bigger and bigger," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

"The cost of fuel, in a region with very little public transport is horrendous and food bills are going up hundreds of dollars a week for the same stuff in the trolley.

"I'll be looking at ways we can make that more affordable."

Mr Fitzpatrick said one of the options that had a great impact was the state government's vouchers program, including Creative Kids and Active Kids, and could be an idea worth boosting.

A topic that's bound to be raised throughout Mr Fitzpatrick's campaign was the current proposal for a significant rates rise in the Bega Valley.

While not shying away from the need for a rates rise, he was keen to advocate heavily for significant support from state and federal governments.

"Councils need a bigger contribution towards roads - 70 per cent of our infrastructure costs is our roads network," he said.

"The federal assistance grants need to go back to one per cent of GST revenue, and grant programs - both state and federal - should be about vital existing infrastructure that needs improving and renewal. Not all about building new things and cutting a ribbon."

However, if government grants did provide capital investment, then Mr Fitzpatrick believed a better way of doing things would be making sure ongoing funding and operational costs were built into any new grants programs.

Desperately in need of renewal was the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain.

"That's something I have tried for years to advocate for at every level. What we need is for that road to be made a 'road of significance' and therefore attract federal and state input.

"At the moment it's in a terrible state and with two sets of traffic lights on the mountain.

"The Clyde Mountain north of Batemans Bay is the same. Work is being done, but we need to look at how to make it a more reliable and safer trip."

Mr Fitzpatrick said were he to be elected on March 25, he would immediately step down as mayor, but until then he was proud to continue representing his community and that given a councillor was an elected position there was no requirement for him to resign his seat.

He added that if he did end up stepping down from council altogether following the state election, there would not be a need for a costly council byelection, as the next local government ballot was scheduled less than 12 months away, in September 2023.

In the meantime, he said as the Liberal Party was not behind his run for council, nor did he run on a Liberal Party ticket, he would continue to be "a whole of community advocate" on council.