Employment was raised at the candidates forum on Monday night.

Stephen Doidge said local residents need to think on a regional scale. 

“It’s great to have jobs here but we need to look outside the square,” Mr Doidge said.

“If the region is prosperous, we are all prosperous.” 

Gundagai’s Abb McAlister said when the council is formed, it would need to work with Manildra towards the plant re-opening. 

Manildra has indicated its intention to re-open when the timing is right. 

Candidate David Harris, a Cootamundra business owner (Harris Tyre Service), suggested Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council could look at opportunities that present themselves in relation to the trucking and transport industry. 

Leigh Bowden said employment would be a matter of council working with the “can-do” people of Cootamundra and Gundagai to achieve results and be proactive. 

Opening up development opportunities will be a focus of a group of seven candidates led by Dennis Palmer and including residents of Cootamundra, Gundagai, Coolac and Adjungbilly. 

Speaking at the forum, member of this group Rosalind Wight said if successful in being elected to council, the group sees a key part of their function as encouraging jobs and industry in the Local Government Area. 

Ms Wight said they would aggressively seek future development. 

Another former Cootamundra Shire Councillor, Mary Donnelly, recognised the need for growth in the business sector in town and in her former role personally wrote to many businesses to encourage them to set up in Cootamundra. 

 Cootamundra’s Betty Brown asked what people proposed to back employment in the area. 

James Childs said council must play its part to support small businesses.