A champion apple pie baker, a classical music enthusiast, an ICAC whistleblower and aspiring scientist are among Wollongong’s nine mayoral hopefuls, four of whom faced-off in a Mercury forum on Monday night.
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After 90 minutes of cordial debate, where they were quizzed on housing, development, transport and tourism, Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, Liberal councillor John Dorahy and independents Vicki Curran and Warwick Erwin were asked to reveal secrets to voters.
Mr Erwin revealed his skills in baking apple pies, ex-Steelers captain Cr Dorahy showed a surprise passion for classical music, Cr Curran spoke speaking out at ICAC and former reverend Cr Bradbery said he had hoped to become a scientist before entering the church.
During the forum, led by Mercury editor Julian O’Brien, the four were asked to highlight areas they would cut back, spend up big and change if elected to lead the council. The remaining five candidates will be quizzed on Tuesday night.
Liberal John Dorahy said he thought Wollongong has been taken for granted because of its traditional voting patterns and promised voters he would be the best placed to lobby the NSW government.
On spending, Cr Dorahy stayed close to his party message about a “jobs action plan”, a council funded corporation to fast-track developments, more spending on CCTV cameras and “efficiencies” for council staff as a cost cutting measure.
“I take my hat off to Gordon he has been absolutely sensational in the first six years of council off the back of the ICAC affair,” he said.
“But now we need a fresh view of it, one that can be collaborative with this particular [state] government.
“Having spoken to a couple of parliamentarians over the past few days if we were to [establish a development corporation] there would be a hell of a lot more money coming here.”
Independent Vicki Curran was keen to highlight the good work of the existing council, of which she has been a part, but said under her leadership she would increase transparency.
She also said should would like to steer a city where residents were happy to plant their own planter boxes or mow their own verges “because they feel like this is their own”.
Non-councillor Warwick Erwin – who attended more council meetings than most councillors – held his own among the three politicians, urging a focus on smaller projects and a budget focused on a “return to ratepayers”.
He also wanted the council to focus more on “intangibles”, like community engagement.
After six years in the job – and placed as the clear favourite to take out the top job again this time – Cr Bradbery took a realistic outlook.
He warned other candidates against making promises they would not be able to keep with the council’s limited funds.
“When you come onto council, it’s all so nice and easy to say these sorts of things, but when you come to the reality of budget you have to sit down and carve up that money dollar by dollar,” Cr Bradbery said.
However, he did promise a renewed focus on Lake Illawarra, and neglected suburbs of Port Kembla and Warrawong. He also took aim at residents’ attitudes to waste and dumping.
“My highest priority is issues of amenity. I am over illegal dumping, I am over litter and people not using the waste services we have,” he said, saying the council’s on-call household rubbish pickup service should be reviewed.
“People think they just put out the stuff in the street and the council knows its there, and then it migrates up the street and people come and add to it.
“There needs to be a better way of managing the garbage and waste people are generating.”
Pre-poll votes pour in
Pre-polling for Saturday’s election opened last week, and by Monday afternoon, more than 13,000 people has cast their votes at pre-poll.
In Shellharbour, 5681 people has voted by 3pm and 7969 people had voted in Wollongong.
There are pre-poll booths at Dapto Ribbonwood Centre, Thirroul community centre and at the Wollongong Returning officer’s office on Auburn Street. Shellharbour’s are at the old council chamber in Warilla and Shellharbour stadium.
Pre-poll voting closes on September 8.