Gabrielle Duykers, Naracoorte Community News

Millicent mediator Mark Braes has the “monumental task” of contesting the seat of MacKillop for SA Labor at the upcoming state election.

Mr Braes has previously served as a councillor and Mayor on Wattle Range Council, and worked as a lawyer, family mediator, and conciliation officer with the SA Workers Compensation Tribunal.

Mr Braes said his experience working in local government over more than a decade would be an asset to the role.

“I think it stands you in good stead in terms of being able to communicate clearly with people and hear their concerns,” he said.

“You can put matters to account and try to resolve or advocate at other levels of government for some issue or need people and groups might have.”

Mr Braes now runs his own mediation business, Braes Mediation Solutions, and resides in Millicent with his wife Lisa and their son Oliver.

He has also been involved with his local Rotary Club and St Vincent de Paul group.

“All of those activities give you a good sense of your community and I think I’ve got a fairly broad understanding of the wider region,” he said.

Across the electorate, he said his primary concerns centred around “health and health needs”.

Mr Braes endorsed Labor’s recent election promise to invest $52 million into health facilities across the Limestone Coast, which includes various hospital upgrades and funding for more paramedics.

“I know COVID-19 has put immense pressure on everybody but I think the announcement speaks to issues that have been alive here in the region for some time,” he said.

Mr Braes also expressed concern for the availability of mental health services throughout the electorate.

“These services tend to be lacking or are hard to attract in country areas,” he said.

Mr Braes said local social services had “evaporated”  over the years, something he was keen to change.

“I want to ensure the many diverse communities within MacKillop have equitable access to medical, social and community services,” he said.

“This is essential for economic development.”

Having previously chaired the region’s Natural Resource Management Board, Mr Braes said he would also work towards sustaining the “environmental advantages” of the Limestone Coast, Coorong and Southern Mallee areas.

He said such assets included local water resources and soil across the region, which were crucial to the local agriculture and forestry industries.

“The wealth that the Limestone Coast generates is in part because of those foundations,” Mr Braes said.

“They’re really critical resources that need to be preserved, supported, and sometimes protected if there’s a crisis.”

In the lead up to the 2022 State Election on March 19, Mr Braes said his key task would be to make people aware of Labor’s proposed policies and initiatives for the electorate if it were to assume government.

“I’ll be contacting a lot of organisations, groups, individuals, and certainly doing a lot of travelling to try and understand the issues of the communities throughout this region,” he said.

“Whatever happens I think it’s important for people to see that political aspirants have done their best to try and connect with you.”

Mr Braes said he was hoping to be “exhausted” by election day.

The seat of MacKillop is yet to be held by a Labor representative, with Liberal Nick McBride currently serving as its member.

When asked if he thought he could win, Mr Braes said it would be a “monumental task”.

“I’ll put myself forward and I’ll articulate arguments as to why I believe it’s better to have a Labor parliament down here, but I understand the realities,” he said.

“If all I achieve by this process is raising the profile of whoever the Labor candidate was and educating more people about what Labor stands for, well I’ll count that as a win.”

SA Labor Leader Peter Malinauskas said he was excited to welcome Mr Braes to Labor’s team of candidates.

“Mark is a long-standing, committed local who has a track record in representing, advocating and delivering for his local community,” Mr Malinauskas said.

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.