Tony Pettitt
TONY PETTITT – INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR HAKWESBURY
About Tony:
I have lived in the north-west of Sydney most of my life. In the early 1970’s I undertook an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic with the Shell Co of Australia.
I achieved a trade plus five post trade qualifications. I possess an associated diploma in mechanical engineering and have a good understanding of dam construction, power generation and distribution, nuclear power, civil engineering, good town planning, transport, communications and an agricultural background. I am an experienced former security/bodyguard and trained former NSW FireFighter. I have an MC licence (B-Double & Road Train).
During the 1980’s I worked for the NSW public service for 10 years, becoming a whistleblower regarding waste, mismanagement and corruption and in October 1991 Channel 9’s Current Affairs did a story on my plight.
During 1990-2010, I was mainly self-employed in the warehousing, industrial storage and heavy transport industry. I have had extensive experience running as a candidate and/or organizing candidates at all levels of government and an excellent knowledge regarding Australian politics.
New Line Road has been a major local issue for decades. The Government has allocated funds for strategies to alleviate some of the pressure of this contentious road (and roads tying into it). What do you think is the solution to New Line Rd?
New Line Road, the whole road has been an absolutely hotchpotch attempt, it should have been looked at as a complete job and 2 lanes completed both ways all the way decades ago. It is just a typical example of the incompetence of state governments inability to just get on with the job. Too much money is wasted doing it in dribs and drabs.
Instead of talking about and looking at it and wasting $20mil investigating improvements, $20mill could go towards building it and the necessary bridge. Everyone knows it has to be done and knows what has to be done, just get on with the job and just direct the relevant department to start work and get the job done. It’s not rocket science, just road building, surely they have built bridges and roads before or are there no practical and experienced capable persons in state government like the old Department of Main Roads (DMR) in the old days when things just got done without any fuss.
Contentious Land Values Tax… why is it necessary, when so many residents are up in arms about having to fork out additional funds which they say “clearly supports developers” to the detriment of landowners?
I object to land tax especially if the property is used as a holiday place or to derive an income that is also taxed.
What are your top priorities for your local electorate?
My main concerns but not limited to, are, flooding, drought, power shortages, transport and overdevelopment.
What are the biggest issues in your local electorate and how will you tackle these?
We are looking down the barrel of future severe droughts, water and power shortages. My solution is to build a Snowy Mountain style Hydroelectric Scheme in and around the blue mountains to capture water as the Snowy Scheme dose, it captures 99% of rainfall and stores 4 times more than Warragamba, The Snowy is the biggest and cheapest power generator in Australia at 4gigawatts, the rainfall over the blue mountains far exceeds the Snowy and we could have a power capacity that massively exceeding the Snowy scheme, hence no more floods, droughts or power shortage.
The issue of transport through the Blue Mountains needs to be a complete process of building tunnels from one side of the mountains to the other, it will be cheaper in the long run. Doing it bit by bit is just false economy. Why not do a rail tunnel as well? The Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme, has over 120km of tunnels, it started construction over 72 years ago. The construction was from 1949-1972 at a cost about $820 million and was nominated by the American Society of Engineers in 1967 as one of the engineering wonders of the world.
Would you like to add anything else?
I am subservient to the people of Hawkesbury and NSW and have no ties to big business, political parties, developers nor anyone else. If you continue to vote the same way, nothing will change, it’s up to you to take control of your future parliament. A two party parliament is like organized crime. If we have a hung parliament then more elected representatives will be able to have a say.
Hear Tony speak at the Pitt Town Progress Association’s Candidate Meeting Night, held on the 8th of March:
