David is a supporter of the Triangle Tool Library in Cobargo
The Poplar trees that use to form the entrance to Bega were planted by David's Father, 2BE's Lawrence Porter with Bega Rotary in the 1950's
David Porter was born in Bega, went to High School in Sydney and worked all over the world for global corporations. David is an innovator who provided consulting services to corporations trying to improve their business in Asia Pacific, he is trained in business management, sales management, contract law, cybersecurity and ISO 9000 quality standards. David returned home in 2015 to, look after his elderly parents, while doing so he took a part time job for the Eden Magnet. David then took the contract to build and operate the systems for the Flexibus Service which operates in Merimbula, Pambula, Tura Beach, Bega and Eden.
David has a wife named Eva, a daughter 16, called Daytona, and a son Austin, who is 13, both the Children attend Bega High, while Eva works at the Tathra Hotel.
David is also community minded and has represented farmers and land owners in the shire with both Council and the state government, David had a council decision to ban dogs in Pambula, Merimbula and Bega overturned and has appeared in a number of media outlets representing the people of Bega Valley Shire.
Bio Details at a glance:
Trainning & Experience:
For information as to how davids skills can be used on Council please see my Platform and Agenda Page
Question from John Charlton: “Lot of simple, trite slogans from candidates about cutting rates and improving services. Tell us how? We’re not idiots”. David's Answer: Thanks for the question John, I have not been promising cutting rates because that would be extremely difficult in the short term given that council is millions in the red. But let me share with you where I do believe we can improve services and get Rates rises back under control. The new council has the fantastic opportunity of hiring the new General Manager/CEO. If the new councillors have experience in business they will be able to hire a CEO that will bring about structual change to council. Currently council is a highly bureaucratic organisation, compartmentalised and inefficient in the way it operates. By hiring a CEO that can envisage a true vision for council including embracing a balance between cultural and business management practices and get that into a strategic plan we should see the flattening of organisational structures, empowerment and accountability of staff, fast approval processes and the adoption of quality standards. The ultimate result will be a council that is service focused and much more efficient in tits operation, making better decisions, higher levels of services at a reduced running cost. We just need the ratepayers to choose the right councillors.
Question from Tracy Lee: “I’m wondering if any candidates are opting to lobby for Bega to be a charter member of ‘Smart Communities’ (the dept of land and infrastructure project around future tech).” David's Answer: Hi Tracy, actually I have over 30 years experience in ICT and have implemented projects across Asia Pacific as a consultant to global Tech companies, locally I developed the technologies that run the Flexibus service here in our shire. I am both interested and knowledgable in smart technologies and always interested in empowering communities through its use. If we get enough open minded candidates we have an opportunity for our community to be leaders in this area, which I would be happy to champion.
Question from Martin Thompson: ”Independents ... really? Can all candidates say what political parties they are, or have been members of.” David's Answer:Hi Martin, I am so glad you asked. On July 3 Bega Valley Shire Council ran an information session for potential candidates. To ensure these candidates were independently briefed on every aspect of being a counsellor they invited some highly experienced guest speakers namely the mayor of 9 years and counsellor for 13 years of the Yass Valley Council and a man who had served for 21 years as a councillor and Mayor to provided us with a great deal of information on every aspect of being a counsellor. In both cases these highly experienced counsellors spoke of the damage done by allowing political parties into council and in fact cited an example of a council that had been destroyed by counsellors that were obligated to their political leaders. They both expressed to us their strong opinion that the best possible outcome from a election is to have a group of counsellors who are independent and working harmoniously for the community that is they are working for the community rather than A polarised council that is obligated to their political ideologies and leaders. For this reason I’ve placed on my website a statutory declaration that I am not a member of any political party, that I have no obligations to any political party and in fact I’ve never been a member of Labor, Liberal National or greens parties in my entire life. I’m here standing as member of the community for the community and those of you that have known me for some time I’m sure will echo that I’ve worked for the community even just as a normal citizen. I say keep the political parties out of council.
Question from Tracy Lee: “ I’d like to know which councillors will propose to put a cap on air bnb nights, to reduce the demand for short rentals and increase availability of long term rentals. No point having a tourist area if there’s nowhere for locals to live; locals who are needed to support tourism businesses.“ David's Answer: Hi Tracy, thanks for the question, I am not opposed to the cap as a short term solution, however, the Cap idea is actually not the right solution long term, its a bandaid solution to a bigger problem that was partly of councils own doing. The 2013 LEP reduced building entitlements, created huge minimum lot sizes and rezoned ratepayers private land without their knowledge, the move was an assault of land owner rights that stifled residential growth in the shire, about five years ago, a group of us (with no financial interest) lobbied council over these changes warning them that the moves were short sighted and likely to cause a crisis, but they stuck firm and here we are now. I am in favour of incentives and cooperation rather than regulation, I believe we need to bring together people with short term rentals and find a way to get their cooperation to move through this problem and incentivise them to help. The problem needs leadership rather than a big stick.
David Porter is regularly called on by Radio stations for comment on matters concerning Bega Valley Shire and has been on 2GB, 2MMM, 2EC, numerous times on the ABC and was described by 2UE as "a very intelegent and articulate Gentleman"
David has appeared in the Bega District News, Merimbula News Weekly, Eden Magnet and the Daily Telegraph.
David has been interviewed several times on Sky News and even appeared on the Matty Johns Show regarding Rugby League as a catalyst for bushfire recovery and the importance of grants in the community.
David was interviewed by several media outlets including an appearance on Sky News after the black summer fires, about letters he wrote to the premier regarding bushfire preparedness.
NRL Video about Geoff Toovey coming to the Bega Valley to surprise David Porter and talk about the grant applications he has been involved in for sports-field Lighting. David Supports a Grants Center in Council to assit community groups in obtaining grant money. This video also aired on the Matty Johns SHow, the whole video can be seen
Here.