CONSTRUCTION and project management experience are two things councillor candidate Peter Kemp hopes to bring to the table if he’s elected in March.

Mr Kemp said rather than sitting at home and “whining over the kitchen table”, he wanted to do something about issues in the council.

The Warwick born-and-bred builder has council debt and “waste” in his sights.

“I really think there’s a need for change – starting at the top,” he said.

“This council does have a debt problem it needs to address.

“Ratepayers should not be a blank cheque.”

Since returning home to Warwick several years ago to look after his mother, Mr Kemp said he’s been watching the council closely.

He believes there’s been too much in-fighting and is calling for changes to the way council does business.

“The old ways of doing things may not work any more,” he said.

“There is quite a lot of waste in council.

“My slogan is ‘axe the waste’.”

Mr Kemp has 40 years experience in building and project management, working around Australia and overseas.

He hopes whoever is elected mayor can bring together the council as cohesive team.

“We need a good mayor with local government experience,” he said.

“If we get that, I think we could do quite well.”

If elected, Mr Kemp said he’d like to spend more time out in the field understanding and fixing issues in the region.

“If there’s a problem I like to go out and see it,” he said.

“We need to stop looking at issues from a desk.

“We need to get out there and find out what people’s needs are.”

Looking to the future, Mr Kemp said Warwick had strategic value, especially to transport operations.

“I see it as a strategic hub for the entire east coast of Australia,” he said.

“I also see a future for the equine industry in Warwick – it’s already starting to build.”

Speaking about Stanthorpe, Mr Kemp said he believed amalgamation had caused a lot of problems for the regime.

“We have to live with it,” he said.

“Stanthorpe and Warwick need to develop their own, separate tourism plans – we’re two different regions with two different needs and two different audiences.”

The Kemp family has a long history around Warwick.

Mr Kemp’s father Bruce fixed TVs around the area for 40 years and owned a farm in Junabee.