After a week-long “roller coaster ride” as voting counting continued following the March 25 State election, it’s back to business for returned Liberal Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch.
The news came through on Saturday, April 1, that Crouch had retained the seat despite a huge swing to Labor.
Despite some political pundits predicting on election night that the seat would fall to Labor candidate Sam Boughton, Crouch said he had remained positive in hoping for a win at the polls.
“At that stage, more than 13,000 pre-poll votes had not been counted,” he said.
“There were still an enormous number of votes out there and I was incredibly humbled to be returned to serve the residents of Terrigal for another four years.”
Crouch said he had received a phone call from Boughton on Saturday conceding defeat.
“It was the first time in three elections I had received a concession call and I think that’s worth noting,” he said.
“Sam Boughton ran a very good campaign.”
Crouch said the large statewide swing to Labor did not come as a complete surprise.
“A lot of people forget the huge landslide victory for the Liberals in 2011,” he said.
“When there are swings at a state level they tend to be very large.
“Sadly some of my colleagues have not retained their seats.
“It’s a reminder you can never take any vote for granted – and I didn’t.”
Crouch said with a minority Minns Labor Government now set to hold the reins, his focus would be on securing delivery of regional funding promised to the Coast by the former government.
“One of the things that concerns me is that there have been no announcements in this election cycle about important regional funding received under the former government,” he said.
“The Coast received millions of dollars of regional grant funding (in the last term).
“The Seniors travel card alone brings $11.5M into the region and that’s just one program.
“The government has made no commitment to continue any of that funding – we need reinforcement of our regional funding.”
Crouch said upgrades of Central Coast Hwy and the Pacific Hwy through Wyong were just two projects he would champion through to completion.
“This investment into roads and key pieces of infrastructure has to continue – this vital infrastructure pipeline must be seen through,” he said.
“These funds have helped created an air of positivity in the region.”
Crouch said he had worked closely on several projects with Member for Wyong David Harris, whom he held “in the utmost regard”, and expected that to continue.
“I will be very happy to work with David Harris and the incoming governmentt to ensure our region continues to get its fair share of regional funding,” he said.
“It’s not about being in Opposition – you have to work in a constructive way and there is a lot more to be done.
“Regardless who’s in government we all have to work together.”
Crouch said he looked forward to the delivery of a new artificial reef for the region this year, which he said would be an “economic bonanza”, and to the construction of a new TAFE in Mann St, Gosford.
Crouch said with a conditional contract of sale having been signed by Central Coast Council and TAFE while the former government was in caretaker mode, the responsibility for seeing the project through would now rest with the new government.
Crouch said he would continue to push for the Central Coast to be the first region to remove shark nets.
“I’m very passionate about that and have made my position on it very clear,” he said.
“I look forward to working with the incoming Agriculture Minister; the Central Coast is perfectly positioned to trail a removal of the nets.”
Terry Collins