The 61-year-old who has lived for the past six years in Tanilba Bay believed that the state government had been offloading far too much of its services and placing an extra burden on councils.

"There seems to be more of a burden on local councils, which I believe is holding back the council in dealing with what ratepayers care most about," he said.

"We have just seen the satisfaction report for this council where road maintenance rated below 50 per cent. If I am elected I will be advocating for a specialist's report to find out how we can better spend ratepayers' money repairing our roads.

"It could be that it would be more financially viable in the long term for the council to build its own asphalt plant, rather than relying on material from outside the area. Asphalt is a totally recyclable commodity."

As the recipient of a government benefit, Mr Doran said that he understood the importance of living on a finite income and that he would be a fierce advocate for providing more jobs in Port Stephens, particularly on the Tilligerry Peninsula.

"It's great to see the owners of the old Tilligerry Plaza site talking of doing something with the exiting 'eyesore', however, I wonder if the proposed development is the right one for that area," he said.

"There just isn't the existing infrastructure to support what sounds to be a high care facility and there is a limited number of doctors, no hospital, and a single ambulance on the Tilligerry peninsula.

"Personally, I would like to see a government department or private enterprise on the site - possibly another arm of the Taylors Beach Fisheries centre, or an extension of the Defence aerospace or a hub for tourism occupied by representatives from the various Hunter Valley and port Stephens attractions."

Related Reading: Spiller stands for more community consultation

Mr Doran said that he would also be advocating for a more accountable council.

"Councillors and council staff should be made accountable for their decisions," he said.

"I am against any rate hike and I believe that council should be looking for other streams of investment. For instance, would it be financially viable for the council to borrow money against the value of the airport [which is half owned by Port Stephens Council]?"

Mr Doran, who previously ran as an Independent candidate in the seat of Port Stephens in the 2019 state election, said that he has the passion and desire to make a difference at the December 4 elections.

"This is the reason why I want to represent the people of central ward."

ALSO READ: Seniors living project for Tilligerry Peninsula back on

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: