Maitland City Councillor Philip Penfold will contest the state election as an independent candidate for the seat of Maitland.
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He told the Mercury he had decided to run for election after numerous approaches from the public since sitting Liberal MP Robyn Parker announced she would not recontest the seat.
Cr Penfold, who resigned from the Liberal Party about two years ago, said that Maitland had growing pains that needed to be addressed.
He said the region needed a new high school in the eastern suburbs and primary school in the west, given Maitland’s population growth.
“There is land that is somewhat considered set aside [for a new school], but there is no design, plans or funding,” Cr Penfold said.
“There was an expectation of residents in the west that the development of land in the area of McKeachie’s Run would accommodate a school, but it didn’t happen.
“We have a vastly growing area in Farley, Lochinvar and Rutherford and no plans for the future.
“We need to know how we are going to accommodate the education needs of those children.”
Cr Penfold was born and raised in Maitland and has served on the council for the past six years.
He has been president of the Maitland branch of the Liberal Party and was Ms Parker’s campaign manager in 2011.
Cr Penfold is married, with two children, and is a former building society branch manager and small business owner.
If he wins the seat in March, he would be allowed to finish his term as a councillor, but could not stand for local government in 2016.
Cr Penfold previously told the Mercury that he would not run in an election against Ms Parker, out of respect for his former party colleague.
But he began to consider a tilt at the seat when the Maitland MP announced her retirement from politics earlier this month.
“Robyn Parker has taken great strides toward acting on many infrastructure needs and, in her absence, we need a proven Maitland representative to ensure we see these promises, and more, are delivered upon quickly,” Cr Penfold said.
“The Premier [Mike Baird] is a good man with a difficult job, though in his first six months in the top job he has spent a total of one hour in Maitland despite being less than two hours away.
“After their recent 16-year rule over NSW’s finances, it is clear Labor is not yet ready to take the reins and we shouldn’t saddle ourselves with an opposition member who can’t work with the government of the day.”
Cr Penfold said he was also against plans to cut the Newcastle rail line.
“I accept that the government has made its decision, but I think it is a bad decision,” he said.