Shellharbour residents have been given the first look at how their council area could be split into wards, 15 months after voting in favour of a boundary shake-up.
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Six options for slicing the 154-square-kilometre Shellharbour local government area (LGA) into smaller areas of representation will be discussed by the city’s councillors this week.
The move follows a constitutional referendum held during the general council election in September last year.
Just over half the 43,681 residents who voted in the referendum were in favour of the LGA – currently one area represented by seven councillors – being split into wards.
The community also voted in favour of the city’s mayor being popularly elected, or voted in by residents, for a four-year term.
As a result, the number of elected representatives will increase from seven to nine (eight councillors and one mayor) at the next election in 2020.
Six ward options will be put to the city’s councillors at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The proposed boundaries are based on the even distribution of the 51,964 electors living in the Shellharbour LGA (as at the 2016 census).
They include three options for four wards, each of which would be represented by two councillors; and three options for two wards, each with four councillors.
The boundaries are determined by a “distribution process”, ensuring an equal number of electors in each ward.
There can’t be a variation of more than 10 per cent between the number in each ward, according to the NSW Electoral Commission.
“As the referendum for Shellharbour City Council determined that there would be eight councillors from the 2020 election, the proposals were based on either four wards or two wards as the same number of councillors is to be elected for each ward,” a report to councillors said.
“The mayor is to be excluded when determining the number if the mayor is to be elected by all the electors of the local government area.”
Councillors have been asked to vote in favour of putting the proposed ward boundaries on public exhibition for 42 days from December 15 – longer than the usual 28 days due to the Christmas holidays – with a further two-week period for submissions.
At present, the wards have been given generic, geographical names – north, south, east and west etc.
However, residents would be able to suggest names as part of their submissions.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
