Gosford Council Candidates 2012

The 2012 Gosford City Council elections are just over a month away, and the field is more open than usual with four of the outgoing councillors not standing again. These are interesting times as is often said in politics.

The recent departure of the General Manager Peter Wilson, the forthcoming departure of Terry Thirlwell, Director of Community Services and Organisational Development, some shuffling of chairs in the Planning Department and other changes in Council staffing, point to this as being one of the few moments in local affairs when some changes might be possible, in the direction taken by elected representatives, and the culture within the administrative branch. Many hope this to be the case.

On The Gosford Times blog we will try to provide as much information as possible in the lead-up to the election on the 8th of September, including candidate’s policies and party publicity.

Local newspaper coverage in the past has been less than satisfactory in bringing information needed to make an informed choice, particularly in regard to minor groups and independents. Consequently we invite those who so wish to send material for posting and, within the usual constraints, we will publish same.

To start with, the new grouping of independents consisting of Peter Freewater, Gary Jackson, Ian Sutton, Jake Cassar, Ingrid Hasler, Nikki Freeburn, David Benwell, David Leggett and Kay Williams.

Major Policies of the Central Coast Alliance (From their website)


The Central Coast Alliance Candidates are committed to giving the community a voice, connecting the community, the revitalisation of Gosford CBD, investment in infrastructure and sustainable resource management.

Giving the community a voice - We stand for open, honest governance and we want to ensure the community is well connected and their voices are not only heard bur their values directly influence the actions of Council. This means real consultation that educates and informs so as to create a level playing field for input into Council's decision-making processes.

Connecting Community - We'll be involving local business in community development, supporting opportunities for Men's Sheds, Community Gardens and other social networks that bring our seniors and youth together to promote harmony and respect in our community. We see our schools as focal points for the community and opportunities for us to engage in a variety of community based projects. We will be supporting existing community based groups such as sporting clubs, RSL's, progress associations, Surf Life Saving, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Masonic groups Scouts, Guides, musical and theatrical societies, etc. These community groups that are usually made up of selfless volunteers often form the backbone of community and are the glue that can bind us together for the prosperity of all. We will be engaging with these groups and looking for opportunities to add value to the important contributions they already make.

Revitalisation of Gosford CBD - We will revitalise Gosford and see the city return to the thriving metropolis it once was. The waterfront can be developed to promote tourism without the loss of community access and amenity. There has always been a strong interest in a marina development and we will allow this to happen. We will provide the incentives for more retail shops, live entertainment venues and restaurants around the marina. We will encourage a variety of accommodation developments including backpackers to bring visitors of all ages. We will provide incentives for a range of tourism ventures across the greater Gosford region. We have a great wealth of natural and cultural heritage that can be used to make Gosford a hub for both international visitors and weekenders from Sydney and Newcastle. We will bring back Old Sydney Town or if that's not entirely possible we can create something very similar right in the heart of Gosford, perhaps with a maritime theme. We will have historic walks that celebrate our rich colonial beginnings and our indigenous past. We will support festivals like the Flora Festival, the Oyster Festival, music and multicultural festivals. We will bring people to our parks for open-air markets and carnivals. With our beautiful waterways and forests, Gosford is primed for a range of passive or adventure style eco-tourism attractions and we will provide seed funding to see local initiatives get started. We want to make Gosford a vibrant place where young and old want to be and where jobs for our kids can be sustained long into the future.

Investment in Infrastructure - Gosford Council has billions of dollars in liquid assets. We are not in debt, we are not 'cash strapped'; we have billions available in cash investments that can be drawn upon at short notice. This is our money that is supposed to be spent on fixing roads, curb and guttering and other essential services. We will access this money and reinvest it in these essential community services. In doing so we will create other employment opportunities. We will support local businesses and smarten up our streetscapes. We will provide confidence for investors and developers and support these initiatives with the road networks and the other vital services that Councils are supposed to provide. Yes, we have to spend a little money to make money, but we will do it prudently with sound economic advice from financial experts. We will look to Wyong Council for further opportunities to share services and reduce the costs to both Councils.

Sustainable Natural Resource Management - We will ensure that our wildlife reserves and waterways are protected for the economic and social benefits they provide and ensure they remain intact for the continued prosperity of future generations. This will be achieved by the appropriate planning controls and tougher legislation. We will refuse development consent that threatens rare or endangered species and will lobby State Government to stop inappropriate mining on the Central Coast. We will protect our water supply, our farms and our community from the mining industries and excessive extraction of our ground water.


Ed.
A statement incorporating the agenda’s of 10 independents will always be general and lack details about specific measures to be pursued to achieve the outcomes outlined.

It is good to see recognition of the needs of the farming community of the Mangrove Mountain Districts, the importance of a strong and connected community with REAL engagement in direction setting, and the significance of heritage and identity as a foundation for economic vitality.
However when reading their plans for a revitalised, vibrant, thriving Gosford metropolis (one assumes no irony intended) I felt a lack of coherence, due perhaps from the Alliance wanting to meet some of the objectives of the unsatisfactory Waterfront proposal as well as a plethora of heritage and other desires of the community ignored by the current plan.
Tourism, festivals, theme parks, sport and other entertainments and diversions are frequently trotted out as solutions to everything, but only a diverse productive local base will provide sustainability.
One would like to see more recognition of cultural production as a core factor in building a city.
Perhaps more detail will be found in statements by individual candidates, and clarified as the campaign progresses, however it is encouraging to see the emergence of a collective campaign with policies that would give new life to Council.
 

Lets Get Serious

Let's Get Serious
Council's battle plan to clean up city
(Express Advocate 25th April)

Now that I have got your attention, if you want an interesting (but long) read pertinent to future development options for Gosford, have a look at the UN report on Creative Economies released this month.

I quote extracts from their publicity release, but the full document is worth looking at, particularly the reference to Charles Landry and his concept of Creative Cities.

The application of his ideas to an Australian city, Perth, are even more useful.

First the quote, then a letter sent to the Express Advocate in an attempt to get people to read about, and consider, positive approaches to change.

"A new development paradigm is emerging that links the economy and culture, embracing economic, cultural, technological and social aspects of development at both the macro and micro levels. Central to the new paradigm is the fact that creativity, knowledge and access to information are increasingly recognized as powerful engines driving economic growth and promoting development in a globalizing world.

The Creative Economy Report is the first to present the perspectives of the United Nations as a whole on this exciting new topic. It provides empirical evidence that the creative industries are among the most dynamic emerging sectors in world trade. It also shows that the interface among creativity, culture, economics and technology, as expressed in the ability to create and circulate intellectual capital, has the potential to generate income, jobs and export earnings while at the same time contributing to social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development.

This Report addresses the challenge of assessing the creative economy with a view to informed policy-making by outlining the conceptual, institutional and policy framework in which this economy can flourish."

Now the letter to the editor, with apologies for the intemperate tone. Past letters that were reasonable and polite were not published, so a different tactic is being tried to get useful ideas out there. There is little evidence that local decision makers are aware of the strategies for urban renewal being successfully implemented in many cities around the world.

If you missed the alarming newspaper account of the Council meeting, you can check out what happened in the minutes on the Council website.

Keystone Council

"Judging from newspaper reports of the Law and Order debate at last weeks Council meeting, it would seem that Vicki Scott’s was the only voice of sanity when she called for inclusiveness and social responsibility, against a chorus baying for the blood of scapegoats – groups politically vulnerable and already victims of various social exclusions. One gets the impression too many are singing only from the Chamber of Commerce song book.
If Council wants to ‘run-out-of-town’ any people deemed to be creating unacceptable problems, an uncharitable person would think some of our civic leaders might not be eligible, as residents, for re-election.
But to be charitable, I’m sure they want the problems solved, and I suspect that the answers lie in a different way of thinking; “A new development paradigm (that) is emerging that links the economy and culture, embracing economic, cultural, technological and social aspects of development at both the macro and micro levels.” (UN Creative Economy Report, April 2008)
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditc20082cer_en.pdf"

Switching on the light bulb.

When will the light bulb go on?

Gosford Council has been judged the nation’s poorest recycler of effluent. This follows 5 consecutive years of it being recognised as the worst council in NSW, as measured by public complaints.

While local papers are full of pictures of Councilors as champions of the people, and council spin about its achievements, it is assumed that, unlike the rest of nature, Central Coast residents do not need to fully recycle. Such hubris comes at a price.

We are exhorted to change our light bulbs while the World Bank spends millions promoting oil exploration and the carbon market is booming.

But perhaps an example from the past can show how to integrate energy savings while alleviating social need.

From the Gosford Times, 19th November, 1897.
“An experiment of providing boiling water heated by the ordinary street lamps is to be tried in London. A halfpenny dropped in the slot will secure a gallon. Side by side with the same will be placed automatic machines for the delivery of halfpenny and penny packets of tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar and meat extract, enabling people any hour of the night to obtain a stimulating beverage, a chained cup for the purpose being provided.”

Why this measure was not adopted in Gosford might be surmised by a piece in the Times three weeks later.


10th December, 1897.
“No cabs, no lights; what a funny little place Gosford is,” exclaimed a lady visitor who trudged through the mud and darkness from the railway station the other night. This is surely a significant reflection on the town lamp. Which alderman’s turn is it to find the oil?