It is no big surprise that Gregory Knott’s petition to bring forward the election date for Central Coast Council garnered only 752 signatures (CCN 376).
First of all, the petition received little publicity, but, more important, residents have become so cynical about the likely results of petitions to the government that they can’t be bothered going through the motions any more.
When the Government pays no attention to community comments that the Government has specifically invited, why should anyone imagine that an unsolicited petition will generate a favourable response, even if it has 10,000 signatures?
The Government has made a decision about the Council election date and obviously doesn’t think that its intransigence on this matter will affect the state election in a few months’ time.
Perhaps, the Government has given up on the local seats and doesn’t care how much further it alienates the electorate.
Of course, the Minister’s tender concern for local electors having to go to two elections in two years could have been addressed by having local elections in sync last year with all the other local-government elections in the state.
Why that couldn’t be done was never plausibly explained.
Even now, it would be interesting to know how many ratepayers would prefer to have two elections in two years, as an alternative to having to wait until 2024 to have a say in their local affairs.
My unscientific reading is that getting rid of the Administrator has the highest priority in most people’s minds and that having a Council for a short term is not a concern – might even be preferred, since it would give an early opportunity to assess a Council’s performance.
Crocodile tears over “the substantial cost of holding two elections” would be more convincing if the Minister had ever shown that ratepayer costs were a significant consideration in any other decisions made by the Government.
If there is anyone on the Central Coast who thinks that the Administrator’s tenure has been to the overall benefit of residents, I haven’t met him/her yet.
So, if we are going to live in a state of dissatisfaction, let it be with elected representatives that we can get rid of in a periodic clean-out. There, at least, we have some leverage.
Email, Feb 4
Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy