Ann Martin will get her shot at returning to Wollongong City Council after being endorsed as the Labor Party’s candidate to replace Chris Connor in Ward 3.
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Ms Martin, a former councillor, was bumped to the No. 3 spot on the Labor ticket at the 2017 election behind Cr Connor, and lost out to Liberal Cameron Walters.
Cr Connor has now quit after conceding he could not serve on council while also doing his new job as a school principal in Tamworth.
Ms Martin was preselected unopposed for Labor.
The Ward 3 byelection will be held on November 24, with the Liberal Party deciding to not field a candidate.
Ms Martin said her priorities would be to oppose the proposed new jail at Dapto, maintain the council’s healthy budget position, progress the new Warrawong Community Centre and ensure the orderly development of West Dapto.
“The proposed Dapto jail is a terrible idea and forms no part of the long-term plans for that area, that’s why I opposed it publicly months ago and if elected to Council I’ll keep working with the Dapto community to stop it,’ Ms Martin said.
Wollongong council Labor caucus chair David Brown said Cr Connor’s departure did not show it was a mistake for Labor to select him.
“There was a democratic process,” he said. “It was very close. Both those two were sitting councillors seeking to be re-elected. In the actual election Ann missed out on that third spot buy a relatively small amount of votes.
“We were very close to getting all three, so you play the cards you’re dealt.