Central Coast residents should not be expected to vote in a referendum at the local government elections for a reduced number of council wards without knowing the new boundaries, says a local government expert.
A referendum will be held along with the Council elections in September, asking residents if they want to reduce the number of wards from five to three and the number of councillors from 15 to nine.
Glenn Inglis, who was the general manager who took on the task of leading Tamworth Regional Council when it formed in 2004 from five other councils, asked how residents could possibly have an opinion if there were no maps showing the new ward boundaries at a public forum on March 6.
Inglis said wards might work “as long as the boundaries have some logic” to them.
These included social cohesion, communities of interest, economic activity or a rural or urban focus.
All wards have to be about the same size as well, so no ward has more or less influence, he said.
Inglis said maps were needed before anyone could make a decision on whether to reduce wards to three.
If there were no maps, he said, the community should run a campaign refusing to vote.
Inglis was one of two speakers at the public forum Looking at the future of Local Government on the Central Coast, which was held at Ourimbah.
It was organised by Voices of the Central Coast.
President Barbara Wills said she was “totally shocked” to hear Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart promoting the role of councillors as being like a board of directors and that was why the meeting was planned.
After almost four years of administration since October 2020, the Coast will vote for new councillors on September 14.
Along with the election, the Coast will also vote on the number of councillors and wards, a decision made by interim administrator Dick Persson who thought fewer councillors could streamline decision making, although he admitted he couldn’t guarantee that.
The public forum was given an example of Dorset in England which has about the same population as the Central Coast.
Dorsett has 82 councillors compared to the Coast’s 15, second speaker Graham Sansom said.
Not only that, it has another 160 elected people in country and town councils which support the main council.
Look for our coming story on the questions you need to ask yourself if you’re thinking of standing as a candidate in the September elections, according to these two experts.
Merilyn Vale
LOL. I think Barbara needs to the check the OLG Councillor Handbook, which also refers to Councillors as a Board.
Even the State Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig says don’t believe anyone who says a councillor is like a board member: you’re there to represent your community, he says.