Candidate for Mount Barker District Council - South Ward
About Chris
My background is in technical systems, operations, leadership and problem-solving. Much of my work has involved making complex things understandable, keeping services running, listening carefully, and finding realistic ways forward.
That is the kind of approach I want to bring to council: practical, calm, evidence-based, and focused on what helps communities work well in real life.
Email ChrisWhy I’m standing
A future that is vibrant, liveable and distinctly Adelaide Hills.
Our district is changing quickly - and that can be a good thing, if we manage it thoughtfully.
Growth can bring new people, new businesses, stronger communities and new opportunities for the future.
But it must be matched by infrastructure, services, and planning that protects the character of our towns and the environment that makes us unique.
I’m running for council because I care about the kind of district we become over the next decade - and want to help shape a future that is vibrant, liveable and distinctly Adelaide Hills.
Mount Barker should thrive. Hahndorf should remain distinctive. Macclesfield, Meadows, Echunga and our smaller communities should continue to feel like themselves - sharing in the opportunities and amenity that balanced growth across the district can bring, not becoming forgotten edges of suburban expansion.
“Chris, you seem like a nice guy, but you haven’t lived here for very long...”
That’s fair.
I grew up in Adelaide and spent the first 25 years of my life here before my career took me to Sydney for 15 years.
Laura and I chose to come back to South Australia - and to make our home in the Adelaide Hills - because we genuinely love this region, its landscapes, townships and community spirit.
I’m not going to pretend I’ve been here forever.
What I can promise is that I will listen carefully, think independently, and make practical, evidence-based decisions for the long-term benefit of our communities.
A bit more about me
Music, quizzes, radio — and a few fig trees.
Music was one of the first places I learned how much careful listening matters. Playing in bands, and later directing them, taught me that things get better when people understand the part they’re playing, listen to what others are doing, and work together instead of just getting louder.
That same lesson followed me through live production, entertainment at sea, commercial radio, and radio operations at Australia’s national broadcaster. Different settings, different pressures, but the work was often the same: stay calm, understand the moving parts, communicate clearly, and help people find a practical way forward.
Those habits are what I’d bring to council. I’m pragmatic by nature, but I’m not standing just to keep things ticking over. I think our towns can grow well — with the imagination to see what’s possible, the discipline to get the basics right, and decisions that bring people in rather than leaving them wondering what happened.
Away from the campaign, I’m a quiz tragic, wine lover, serial learner, music person, cat person, gardener (ok, reluctant weeder), and collector of more fig trees than is probably sensible.
What I like most about local community is the way people make things happen: putting on events, keeping clubs alive, sharing knowledge, checking in, pitching in, and turning ordinary places into places people feel part of. Council should understand that kind of local energy, back it where it can, and make decisions that help it flourish.
