Wollongong's latest nominee for lord mayor says it is what's missing from his political resume that makes him the best candidate for the city's top job.
Mr Petty, who ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for Heathcote in this year's state election, is at the forefront of the Illawarra campaign against coal seam gas mining and is heavily involved in the protection of environmentally sensitive land around Helensburgh and Otford.