Greens back call for earlier Council election

The Central Coast Greens have thrown their support behind an online petition started by Ourimbah couple Greg Knott and Justine Rudston-Brown to call for an earlier Council election for the region.

“We demand that the Minister for Local Government, Wendy Tuckerman, return the right of residents of the Central Coast to democratically elect our councillors,” Greens spokesperson Jamie Parker said.

“The June 1 announcement by Tuckerman and Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, to continue administration of our Council until September 2024 was met with universal surprise and disbelief on the Central Coast.

“Initially, residents were led to believe that two years of administration plus a lengthy public inquiry were adequate.

“In fact, according to Administrator Rik Hart, the troubled financial affairs of the Central Coast Council have now substantially been addressed.

“Council CEO David Farmer reported that the ‘Council is on track to forecast a year-end surplus for the 2021-22 financial year as indicated in the Quarter 3 Business Report’.”

The Greens are suggesting a five-year term to follow the period of administration to avoid the cost of holding two elections in two consecutive years, as implemented by Shellharbour and Wollongong Councils in 2011.

“The Minister has no reason why this solution is unavailable to the Central Coast,” Parker said.

“Only one election is needed to restore councillors to our Council, and that election should be held sooner rather than later.

“If the Minister succeeds in delaying the election until 2024, the Central Coast will have been without councillors for four years – too long to wait for local people to get a democratically elected voice back on their Council.”

The Greens are calling on the Labor Party to bring the election forward if it wins government in March 2023.

“Since the announcement by Tuckerman and Crouch, many signatures for the residents’ petition to have the Minister reconsider her decision have accumulated,” Parker said.

“The Greens support this grassroots initiative by residents and encourage the Minister to review her decision urgently.

“To suspend an elected government requires exceptional circumstances.”

The Greens contend that exceptional circumstances no longer exist at Central Coast Council.

“Central Coast residents are concerned that controversial new developments without any supporting infrastructure and an attempt to sell off our Central Coast Water entity may go ahead in the additional two years under an appointed administrator,” Parker said.

The online petition has so far attracted 374 signatures and can be found at https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/Pages/ePetitions-list.aspx.

Terry Collins