The Community Environment Network (CEN) will host two candidate forums at the Ourimbah Campus of the University of Newcastle (UoN) in the leadup to the March 25 State election.
Residents living in the electorates of Wyong, The Entrance, Terrigal and Gosford will have a chance to find out how candidates standing in those seats will work, if elected, to protect the Coast’s lifestyle, natural and cultural environments, biodiversity, sustainable development and local infrastructure needs and respond to the climate crisis.
The first forum, covering candidates standing in the electorates of Wyong and The Entrance, will be held on Wednesday, March 15, from 6.30-8.3 in Lecture Theatre 102.
The second, covering candidates standing in the seats of Terrigal and Gosford will be held on Thursday, March 16, at the same time in the same lecture theatre.
Residents wishing to ask questions during the forum will be required to submit them via email to cen@cen.org.au before the forum.
Moderators will then select questions to ask the candidates in a Q&A style forum.
Members of the public can register to attend the forum via cen.org.au/events with registrations open from Wednesday, March 8, until 9 pm on Tuesday, March 14.
“We know that most Central Coast residents love our local area and care deeply about protecting our lifestyle and the environment, but these topics have hardly been discussed as part of this election campaign,” CEN Chair Gary Chestnut said.
“We have spent the past five out of seven years with our Council under administration, we have been told we are now one of Six Cities and that our population must grow by 88,000 by 2040 but we are one of the regions most impacted by the climate crisis in Australia.
“This is the community’s chance to find out what the local NSW election candidates will do for sustainability on the Coast if elected to the state parliament.”
The events will be run in a Q&A style with Chestnut and Willis putting a selection of questions to candidates.
Candidates will also be given a three-minute opportunity to make opening remarks and closing remarks.
Registrations can be made at cen.org.au/events before 5pm on Tuesday, March 14.
Source:
Media release, Mar 7
Community Environment Network