It’s a fact: our new 15 councillors are irreplaceable

If a vacancy occurs in the ranks of our Central Coast councillors, it will not be filled.

The Local Government Act says a council that has resolved to reduce councillors at the next election will not replace a councillor in the current term.

A council can lose a councillor for a whole host of reasons: they die, they resign, they are disqualified from holding civic office; they miss three consecutive meetings without prior approval; they become mentally incapacitated, or bankrupt.

There is also another reason that covers every other possible reason: if they cease to hold the office for any other reason.

The Central Coast voted in a referendum at the September 14 council elections to reduce the number of councillors from 15 to nine and the wards from five to three at the 2028 elections.

Council has confirmed that the Local Government Act says that where a council as a result of a Constitutional referendum has a reduction in councillors at the next election then casual vacancies are not filled until the number of councillors fall below the new total.

For the Coast, that means we would have to lose more than six councillors before a seventh one would necessitate a by-election.

The results of the referendum were announced on September 30, with Yes receiving 62 per cent of the vote and No receiving 38 per cent.

The newly elected Council is responsible for determining how new wards will be created, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993 which describes how councils can divide areas into wards and prescribes how this must take place not less than 12 months before an election.
The community will have an opportunity for input through a public exhibition process.
CEO David Farmer said the referendum results reflected consultation conducted in 2021 by the then Administrator, Dick Persson, and Acting CEO, Rik Hart, who believed that larger wards could help councillors think of the whole community. 

“A report will be prepared for Council to consider, with options for new ward boundaries proposed in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act,” Farmer said.  

“Once Councillors have considered the report, there will be an opportunity for community input.”

Merilyn Vale