In less than 14 months’ time, councillors will return to the Central Coast – the first elected body to run the region since former councillors were suspended in October 2020 and subsequently sacked in March 2022.
Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart said the time leading up to the local government elections on September 14, 2024, will be critical in ensuring residents are ready and informed before casting their vote.
“I’ve been discussing the councillor return pathway with the Office of Local Government (OLG) and other administrators in NSW, with a view to developing a program for interested candidates ahead of the election,” Hart said.
He has asked Council to prepare a series of public candidate information sessions to begin in October this year.
“I urge residents to start thinking about the type of councillor they want to elect to form part of the new governing body,” he said.
“The ideal candidate should be ready and willing to represent the entire Central Coast community – not just their patch or ward – to work together with the balance of the governing body to uphold their responsibilities as outlined in the Act and to serve the Central Coast community to the best of their ability.
“OLG has explicitly indicated that administrators must play a key role in supporting their Council to transition back to elected leadership.”
The OLG says administrators should talk at candidate information sessions about the leadership failures of the former councillors and executive management which led to the previous Council’s dismissal and the steps taken to address these failures while under administration.
This will contribute to the success of that transition back to an elected body, and ultimately, the successful future of the region, it says.
A report to the Council meeting on July 25 said once a councillor is elected, he or she immediately becomes part of Council’s governing body.
“The Act states that the role of a councillor is (in part): to be an active and contributing member of the governing body to make considered and well-informed decisions as a member of the governing body, and to represent the collective interests of residents, ratepayers and the local community,” the report said.
It said good governance in local government should see councillors represent not just the ward in which they are elected, but the entire region.
The Central Coast community will also be asked a constitutional referendum question at the election regarding a proposal to reduce the number of elected councillors for the region from 15 to nine.
Community feedback on the proposal in March 2021 saw 78 per cent of 613 respondents in favour of the reduction.
Of those, 45 per cent favoured the existing five wards being reduced to three and 55 per cent preferred to abolish the wards and instead have nine councillors for the whole Central Coast.
The result of the 2024 referendum on the issue will be binding and apply from the following local government elections in 2028.
The public inquiry into Council specified that upfront and ongoing mandatory training, including training relating to financial management specific to local government, should be implemented for councillors to ensure that they are adequately prepared for the obligations and responsibilities that come with the job.
Hart said he had advocated for tighter budget management controls, financial governance and financial reporting during his period of administration to ensure Council is in a sound position before the elected governing body takes over next September.
Council is developing a program of events to engage the community about the return of councillors.
An initial introductory public session for intending candidates will be held in mid-late October this year, with formal sessions to be conducted between April and July 2024.
The disfunction of the previous council (both political and administrative) will be addressed in all sessions to ensure mistakes are not repeated.
It is proposed to also invite former independent Mayors from outside the Central Coast region who have held office successfully to present to the community at the sessions, providing insights on a road to successful outcomes for local communities.
Terry Collins