Premier Mike Baird, we are calling on you to change your approach to the merger of the Wollongong and Shellharbour councils.
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We understand your intent in forging ahead, but in merging these two councils please consider three simple requests.
- Change your stance and have a popularly-elected, not councilor-elected mayor.
- Retain the title of “Lord Mayor” not “mayor”.
- Return to your original timeframe of April for council elections.
Simple.
Premier Baird, neither side of politics has done this region too many favours in recent years.
Politics has not served the Illawarra well.
The introduction of councilors electing the mayor under your revision promises to take us back to the bad old days which almost ruined the reputation of the place we love.
Days that we thought we'd left in our dark past.
Listen to the mayor of Shellharbour Marianne Saliba.
“Wollongong has a popularly elected mayor who didn’t have any problems with his councillors and I had an internally elected mayoral system and that creates disharmony, because ever year in September you have to go through a process of a mayoral election with jockeying and internal politics,’’ Mayor Saliba said.
The status of Lord Mayor appears also under review in favour of returning to “mayor”.
“Lord Mayor” and “mayor” are not just mere titles.
The title of Lord Mayor carries with it extra weight and importance which is integral to this region and how it is perceived nationally and internationally.
Last and by no means least, please shorten the timeframes for the period of administration to end with council elections in the originally planned schedule of April.
The region has recent experience of being put into administration and everyone remembers how things simply ground to a halt.
This region can’t take that again and nor does it deserve it. The Illawarra has been surfing a wave recently and this threatens to dump the region back into the sand.
Premier Baird these are all matters completely in your control. Don’t kick us while we are down.
Instead give us a hand up. Show us your Government does actually value what the Illawarra contributes to this state.
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