As a member of the Save Pambula Hospital community group, Mr Fitzpatrick will be taking a particularly keen interest in the latest developments and meetings with ministers relating to the hospital.

However, Mr Fitzpatrick said that while he was on the committee and agreed with the committee’s stance on Pambula Hospital, he was not running solely under that banner.

“That’s not my only issue,” he said, “I want to see sports facilities improved along with the management and maintenance of them. The maintenance is poor and that’s why the facilities are poor.”

He also spoke about the need to increase employment in the area “for our children so that we keep them in the area”.

Originally in the dairy business, his family has lived in the area for four generations.

Mr Fitzpatrick has been a director with the sports organisation, SERAS, representing Bega Valley Shire Council, in the past but now he hopes to take a more active role in council matters.

Regarding Pambula Hospital, he said, “we must push ahead and hope that these meetings will get some results and allow the return to full service.”

Nominations for the by-election close today, Wednesday, and at the time of going to press, yesterday, the News Weekly was aware of one other nomination - that of Jeff Knight, of Towamba.