The public inquiry is all over, done and dusted.
A complete waste of time and money for ratepayers hoping for a rapid return of a democratically elected Council made up of people who are both chosen by and directly accountable to you.
Right from the start, public servants have had full control of the Council, when they were given 18 months to formulate a system to administer the new Central Coast Council, supervised by a senior public servant commanding an eye-watering salary.
What emerged was a set-up similar to the start of the Snowy Mountain Scheme, which was envisaged to be built by the Public Works Department but was described by the media as a bludger’s paradise.
Eventually the project was completed by contractors, within budget, and on time.
A new Council was elected but was frustrated by inaccurate and misleading advice, eventually discovering millions of dollars of public money had evaporated.
So, of course, the councillors were sacked again.
Now comes the crunch, with public assets being sold off, probably to Liberal Party members or supporters, and developers being given free rein to build more apartments, regardless of overpopulation and lack of social infrastructure.
All part of the Liberal Party policy to make the Central Coast a poor dormitory suburb of Sydney, regardless of the suffering of the countless thousands of commuters spending long hours travelling to their places of employment, people in part-time jobs, and the struggling small businesses started by people desperate to avoid commuting to Sydney.
The Central Coast Council area has about the same population as Canberra.
Think about the difference in roads, parks, gardens, social infrastructure and general quality of life to the residents.
No wonder our people are frustrated and angry.
The future, unfortunately, looks like more of the same, with the only light at the end of the tunnel a change of government at the state election in just under 12 months’ time and the opportunity to return to a democratically elected council with full control of local issues.
Email, May 4
Kyle MacGregor, Secretary, Ourimbah Narara Valley Branch NSW ALP