Central Coast referendum: Voters could decide on demerger or council wards
Should the council demerge? Are you happy with the current ward system? Should there be a popularly elected mayor? These questions could be put to voters at a referendum next year.
Central Coast
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De-amalgamation Central Coast Council could be an issue for a region wide referendum next year.
Central Coast councillors voted to hold discussions around a potential poll or referendum at the 2020 Local Government Elections.
Cr Chris Holstein said council should be considering whether certain issues such as de-amalgamation, the current ward system and a vote for a popularly elected mayor should be put to residents.
“There are a range of questions that could be asked, anything could be thrown up,” he said.
“Are we giving the appropriate representation to our community? Should we have a mayor by popular vote? I have a belief that we have too many wards, I personally believe we could go back to three.”
Cr Doug Vincent said people of the coast were not included in the decision to amalgamate the former Gosford and Wyong councils.
“Whether we stay amalgamated or de-amalgamate, I think it is still a question that the community should be asked,” he said.
He was quick to point out since the amalgamation, “it has been all about Gosford”.
“For two years it has all been about Gosford with capital spends,” he said.
He said there were three full wards in the Gosford area and two full wards in the Wyong area.
“With three councillors per ward there is no way the north can have representation when budgets are lopsided, money is being spent down south,” he said. “There is just not the power of the vote in the chamber for the old Wyong shire area.
“The old Wyong Shire area is paying $188 extra per year in rates yet the bulk of the capital spend is in Gosford.”
Councillor Troy Marquart said while there were issues with how the wards were set up across the coast, the council will de-amalgamate when the “lock ness monster turns up in Brisbane Water”.
Meanwhile, costs for next year’s election have blown out to $2.14 million, a 34 per cent increase compared to the 2017 election. The election will be run by the NSW Electoral Commission.
Council chief executive officer Gary Murphy said costs were significantly higher for 2020, with costs of polling booths and staff increasing.
He said council had provided the updated costs to Local Government NSW which was strongly fighting the increased costs on behalf of all NSW councils.