The Budgewoi Ward includes Norah Head, Lake Haven Toukley, Halekulani, Buff Point, Lake Munmorah, Chain Valley Bay, Doyalson, Mannering Park, Summerland Point, Gwandalan, Canton Beach and, of course, Budgewoi.
There are nineteen candidates registered, broken up into six groups and one independent.
Polling places for Budgewoi Ward are located at: Blue Haven Public School; Budgewoi Public School; Buff Point Scouts Hall; Chain Valley Bay Community Hall; Charmhaven Community Hall; Erina High School Assembly Hall; Gorokan High School; Gorokan Public School; Gwandalan Public School; Halekulani Recreation Hall; Kanwal Public School; Lake Munmorah Public School; Mannering Park Community Centre; Norah Head Community Hall; Northlakes Public School; Summerland Point Community Hall; Sydney Town Hall; The Entrance Public School; Toukley 50 Plus Leisure and Learning Centre; Toukley Public School; Warnervale Public School, and Woongarrah Public School.
Running with: Maree Best and Amelia Best
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
A. As I doorknock the local message is quite clear.
The community wants Council to focus on the basics, roads, rates and rubbish.
They are fed up with party politics and their in-fighting, above all, they want a fair hearing.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
A. The big issue from the get go will be making the amalgamation work.
There are huge opportunities around efficiency and cost saving due to the bulk and scale of the new Council.
We must all work together as a region to capitalise on this opportunity.
However, I make no apology for fighting for a Fair Go for the North.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward, (b) the Region?
A. To unlock these opportunities, our new Council will need very experienced hands at the wheel.
It must be run as a business providing real outcomes/dividends for our ratepayers, probity and governance are paramount.
I believe, given the opportunity, I can make a significant contribution through my 21 years of experience as a Local Councillor and through my professional role as General Manager of the Coast’s largest Training Company, currently employing more than 200 locals.
Clearly, there is a huge task ahead in running what will be one of the largest Councils in Australia, with an $800 million a year budget, $11 billion in assets and more than 400,000 residents and ratepayers.
We all know where inexperience got Gosford Council, resulting in a $1.38 billion write-down, millions missing and the ICAC investigating.
In my view, we simply can’t afford another Gosford Council experiment.
Source:
Statement, Aug 24
Greg Best, Independent Candidate Budgewoi Ward
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
A. Town planning.
Our ward is the growth corridor of the Coast with many new housing developments springing up all the time.
We need adequate planning for parks and infrastructure to sustain the population increase.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
A. Sustaining the population growth with much needed and necessary infrastructure.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward and (b) the Region?
A. If elected I would see that more thought and effort needs to be put into the development and town planning of our Ward at Budgewoi and with the whole of the Central Coast.
There needs to be more outdoor recreational facilities developed, including playgrounds, sporting fields, picnic grounds, bike and walking tracks, etc.
I would put pressure on developers to set aside parklands in their development applications to make this so.
More jobs and Smart Hubs need to be created for the population increases so that so many of our population do not have to commute to the cities every day.
If more effort is put on building adequate infrastructure we would be creating more jobs for our Coasties.
With vast numbers of people “escaping” Sydney, we need to keep our region the exceptional & beautiful place it is to live and work in.
Source:
Statement, Aug 23
Michael McCarthy, Independent candidate for Budgewoi
Running with: Cheryl Deguara and Steve Beton
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
A. As a Mother and an active member of the community, I believe the most important single issue facing the Budgewoi Ward is the that none of the previously elected Major Political Parties truly listened to, or represented the community.
I will be a person who listens to the community wants and desires and then works to achieve those needs.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
A. Major Parties have controlled the Council for too long.
They are directed by their head office in Sydney and dance to the tune of their State or Federal Members.
We as mothers want Council to be more proactive helping the youth and this can be done by creating better lakes and waterways in which the youth can enjoy those facilities.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward, (b) the region?
I will work with the community groups and social media to set up a forums so we can have meaningful consultation on how best implement the outcomes provided through this consultation.
Major parties are out of touch with the community and I will work vocally to lobby State, Federal and my fellow Councillors to get the best outcome for both my Ward and the Region.
Source:
Statement, Aug 25
Helaine Taylor, Save Tuggerah Lakes
Running with: Jillian Hogan and Rowen Turnbull
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
A. Our slogan is Voice for the North, as the people of the North should be heard.
We have roads that are full of potholes, roads that lead to nowhere and roads that are a danger to our residents and children.
The Labor team will push for road upgrades at Carters Road, Blue Haven Way, Sparks Road, Kanangra Drive intersection and Wallarah Bridge and upgrades of community facilities, shared pathways and a new regional playground in the North.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
A. Fixing roads and infrastructure and improving community assets.
Labor and the community were successful in lobbying to keep Wyong Hospital in public ownership.
Against all odds, the community fought and won a hard battle to overturn the decision to privatise our local hospital.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward, (b) the Region?
If elected, I will work hard for the people on the Central Coast to have their say on the amalgamation issue, inappropriate development and I will push for our fair share of our rates to be spent in the North.
Labor has a strong team who will listen to the Community and take action on their behalf.
Together they bring with them: experience as a former Councillor, community leadership and a young voice.
When I was a Wyong Councillor, I did not vote for the rate rise nor did I vote for the amalgamation.
Source:
Statement, Aug 25
Doug Vincent, Labor candidate Budgewoi Ward
Running with: Peter Harris and Gary Blaschke
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
A. For the people of the North, particularly the far north, it’s not about one issue, it’s the fact our money, including the additional rates, is now being spent in the south.
We are truly forgotten and it’s time we had funds spent on our roads and footpaths, among other things.
We want to keep our village lifestyle and want only sustainable development.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
A. Lack of transparency and honesty: one only has to look at the often bitter infighting on the Council over the years to understand these weren’t fights for the community but for political gamesmanship.
There have been far too many secrets for too long.
Every ward has independents to choose from and this is a huge opportunity for Coasties to have the change they so desperately want.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward, (b) the region?
A. I would lead by example and use my marketing and communication skills to bring people together.
The new Central Coast Council does not need any ‘mentoring’ from the old, contaminated past Councillors.
I will encourage the new, fresh Councillors to collaborate for consensus across the region.
This will mean listening to my community in the Budgewoi Ward and taking action by making sensible, open decisions based on facts.
Source:
Statement, Aug 25
Julie Watson, Independent for Budgewoi
Running with: Clive Sargeant and Rhiannon Beckers
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
A. I’ve got a strong background in community service, being a 45 year volunteer with the NSW State Emergency Service, and 10 years as a volunteer firefighter with the NSW Rural Fire Service.
I believe that the people of the Central Coast have a golden, once in a lifetime, opportunity to build a strong, new, community-focussed Council that will be the platform for growth in long term jobs, sensible infrastructure and appropriate development.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
A. I’ll be looking hard at Council’s finances and expenditure programs to ensure that we get value for our rates dollars, and that we concentrate on the core business of Council.
Let’s put the community first for a change.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward, (b) the region?
Build on my experience including as a Training Consultant and Company Director.
My clients included many of Australia’s largest corporations, designing and developing award-winning training systems, course materials and eLearning programs.
I’m also currently a Director of the Newcastle Anglican Church Corporation, Chairman of the Board of the Wyong Race Club, Director of the Wyong Community Bank Branch of the Bendigo Bank.
Before moving to the Coast in 2005, I was also Deputy Mayor of Hornsby Shire.
Council must understand the community needs, and will work with all levels of Government to fight for our fair share of funding on the Central Coast.
Only a strong conservative Liberal Council will protect and grow our $9.6 billion in assets, and ensure the $204 million Capital Works budget is spent in our Central Coast region.
Source:
Statement, Aug 25
Garry Whitaker, Liberal candidate for Budgewoi Ward
Running with: Greg Simmonds and Beverley Durkin
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Ward you would be elected to represent?
Sue would continue to fight for the issues she faced as the first ever and only Greens Councillor on the former Wyong Council, including Air Quality Studies and protecting the area from Coal Seam Gas exploration.
Q. What do you consider to be the most important issue facing the Central Coast Local Government Area?
Sue has been particularly concerned at the changes in Wyong Council during the last term of office where transparency, accountability, and real consultation with the community were replaced with a culture of decision-making behind closed doors.
Sue would seek to ensure that this state of affairs does not become part of the new Central Coast Council.
Q. How would you, if elected to Council, set about addressing that issue for (a) your Ward, (b) the Region?
Sue brings the wisdom of age and the passion of youth to her work.
She is a strategic thinker, a plain talker and works well under pressure.
Sue is passionate about social justice in a healthy democracy and is committed to the protection of our precious environment.
Source:
Statement, Aug 25
Sye Wynn, The Greens candidate Budgewoi Ward