Start thinking now about September election

EDITORIAL

The local government election on September 14 will be crucial in determining the future direction of Central Coast Council.

It will be the first local government election in the region in seven years, following a lengthy period of administration.

After the former Gosford and Wyong councils amalgamated in 2016, the first councillors for the new Central Coast Council were elected in 2017.

They didn’t have an easy job.

Faced with the financial difficulties of amalgamation costs, the new councillors also had to look at aligning the disparate planning directives of the two former councils in a region still largely divided by northern and southern loyalties.

In October, 2020, the Council was forced to admit it was in financial crisis, with the then Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock suspending the councillors and appointing Dick Persson as an interim administrator for an initial three-month period, which was later extended to May, 2021.

He was subsequently followed in the role by current Administrator Rik Hart who had come in as acting CEO with Persson’s appointment.

The election proposed for 2021 was postponed for 12 months and a public inquiry into the situation was announced in April, 2021.

The inquiry’s report was tabled by new Local Government Minister Wendy Tuckerman in March 2022, and she immediately sacked the councillors.

In June of that year she announced the election would be postponed yet again until September 2024, with Rik Hart to remain as Administrator in the interim.

And now residents are finally set to go to the polls to elect a new Council.

It is critically important that we all carefully consider candidates once they are announced in order to make an informed decision at the polls on September 14.

We will be asked to elect 15 councillors to cover the five wards.

Equally, if not more importantly, we will be asked to answer a referendum question, the result of which will inform the direction of the region in years to come.

Voters will be asked if they favour a reduction in the number of councillors from 15 to nine.

If a positive referendum result ensues, we will see the number of wards reduced from five to three at the next local government election in 2028.

Central Coast voters need to think long and hard about how they will vote in that referendum.

In March, 2021, 78 per cent of respondents to an online poll voted in favour of reducing councillor numbers, but there were only 613 responses to that poll and residents remain divided on the matter.

Fewer councillors could lead to greater cohesion and improved decision-making and provide ongoing cost saving in salaries, expenses and facilities.

However, even Dick Persson, who recommended the reduction, said it was not guaranteed that fewer councillors would work better as a team.

With nine councillors, there would be a total of 17 elected representatives to the Central Coast, including state and federal MPs.

But many residents are wary of having less representation and fear that reducing the number of wards will mean that current ward-specific issues will not be fully addressed.

This referendum is not to be taken lightly.

We need to be as informed as possible.

Read all relevant information on the Council website.

CCN will provide details on candidates as they come to light.

The future of the region is in our hands.

Terry Collins