With only 17 more sleeps to go until the local government election, many people are scratching their heads asking where all the policies have gone and, indeed, where are all the candidates.
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Oh yes, we have seen the routine negative assessments of the incumbents’ record and the equally unsurprising defence of that record. But policy? That’s been as hard to find as teeth on a hen.
The Greens have emerged as policy front-runners, saying they’ll be pushing for free WiFi in public places and fighting plans to allow foreshore hedging to improve property owners’ views (but presumably not their defence against rising sea levels and storm surges).
We’ve seen a promise to pursue a whale watching platform in Ulladulla but little else.
A sprawling Facebook conversation about visions for the future initiated by South Coast tourism advocate Catherine Shields revealed plenty of voters had ideas but candidates? They were thin on the ground.
Again, the state of the roads seems to have captured everyone’s attention. Team Gash has laid out its works programs for the next few years and has defended its record during live Facebook sessions. With only a few people watching, however, it remains to be seen if that defence will keep voters on side.
On the other side, Graham French’s video offerings have attracted huge audiences but the lead candidate on that team, Greg Watson, is conspicuous by his absence.
A common theme has been the limited field of mayoral candidates. The choice between Joanna Gash, Greg Watson and Amanda Findley of The Greens has not ignited much enthusiasm, even though there is a palpable craving for generational change – a hankering to put the old grey mayors out to pasture.
The problem seems to be that attracting younger, more energetic, forward thinking candidates will always be difficult when they are paid the pittance councillors receive. The younger people with the skills, talent and energy to make a difference cannot afford to devote their lives to local government. Those who can – we’ve seen it on Shoalhaven City Council – often use local government as a springboard to loftier political careers. They contribute for a term or two then move on.
We hold out hope that we will see the council campaign kick up a gear or two, that some innovative ideas are flushed out and that the candidates give us a better reason to vote than paying the fine if we do not.