SERVING Nambucca Valley councillor David Jones has announced he will run in the coming local government elections as a fully endorsed Greens party representative.

Mr Jones announced the news in an exclusive interview last week with NOTA, citing changing demographics and public opinion as the reason for his change from independent candidate to Greens member.

“I think there has been a shift in the Valley,” he said.

“Nambucca has historically been a very conservative area but more and more people have become concerned about soil health, water quality etc.”

David sees the issue of blueberry farming as one of many lately which have cut through the different sides of the political landscape, uniting farmers and conservationists against a common perceived threat.

The move will give him some assistance financially in the form of branding and flyers but most of all he thinks it will give voters a better idea of the policies he stands for.

“This will allow those who want to vote Greens a place to put their preferences and let all constituents know that I will put people first – not developments.

“Besides, local government is [essentially] about planning, roads, rates and rubbish.

“The more contentious Greens issues are not in play,” he assured NOTA.

The Welsh-born Nambucca Heads man has an eight-year track record with Nambucca Valley Council.

Before moving to the region he served on Bendigo Council from 2004-2008.

During this time he was elected Mayor of the city by serving councillors for the years 2006 and 2008, in a process run somewhat differently to the popularly elected position of Mayor in the Nambucca Valley.

The councillor moved to the Valley eleven years ago after falling in love with the area as a child, enjoying family holidays in Nambucca Heads.

“It took me 40 years to move here,” he said with a chuckle.

How does it feel to have arguably one of the most well-known names in the English language?

Mr Jones doesn’t deny that it has helped with his branding in the past.

“I used to say David Jones, like the department store, but now there aren’t many people left in the region who remember shopping there,” he said.

During his time as councillor, he has earned a reputation for speaking out on environmental issues in the Valley, attending and addressing community forums on industrial horticulture and native-forest logging.

He is a weekly guest on a local 2NVR program and tells NOTA his years on Council have been rewarding because he gets to know things across a whole range of issues important to Valley residents.

“Part of our role is to listen to people,” he said.

“Every decision we make is going to have an impact on someone and the hardest thing [for people] to deal with is change.”

By Ned COWIE