Augusta Margaret River Shire council candidates:
A LOVE of democracy and a desire to make things better in Margaret River is the motivation behind Linton Hodsdon's standing for the Margaret River Ward.
Changing the culture of council, recycling and helping the environment are three objectives Mr Hodsdon would like to tick off if elected.
"I love democracy, we're just not doing it very well at the moment," Mr Hodsdon said.
"We need informed participation in the discussion of issues.
"First we need to encourage the community to participate in the discussion and gain their respect again."
He aims to put more substance behind Margaret River and have the region get back in connection with what the area has to offer.
He hopes to upgrade the connection between the town and river to make the Old Settlement into an exciting venue for residents and tourism.
"The Old Settlement is a great area," Mr Hodsdon said.
"In the past I drafted up a plan to create an amphitheatre and band stand on the edge of the river.
"I would like to see that come up for discussion again."
Waste management is another key issue for discussion and Mr Hodsdon would like to consolidate council reports on waste management over the years into something the community can workshop.
"It was a mess three years ago and it's still a mess," he said.
"We have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on reports but it's never been workshopped with the community.
"The community has an amazing amount of knowledge about how to deal with the problem but they are not being brought into the discussion."
Mr Hodsdon said he had practical knowledge and was able to walk the walk when it comes to scrutinising council staff and standing up for what he believes.
"One of my noteworthy achievements in 2000 was to catch staff out when they stacked the Brookfield/student housing reports to the council that would have destroyed the bushland on the corner of Rosa Brook Road," he said.
"By moving the student housing we managed to save the trees in Brookfield and they are still there today."
