Labor Party promises 2024 return of Wingecarribee Council

That was according to Local Government Shadow Minister Greg Warren, Goulburn Labor candidate Michael Pilbrow and Wollondilly Labor candidate Angus Braiden.

They gathered outside Wingecarribee Shire Council today [February 27] to discuss the area's local government issues and map their plan to return its council, which was suspended in 2021 and placed into administration.

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"We all know in the past; it's been an absolute mess," Mr Warren said.

"We don't want to see that occur into the future."

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He said if Labor wins the NSW elections it would work with the community and provide Wingecarribee Council with mentorship and training "to ensure we don't see this happen again".

"Ironically the local member here is also the Local Government Minister [Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman]," Mr Warren said.

"We want to see Wingecarribee Council supported so that they can provide the support to the people of Wingecarribee that they most desperately need."

Mr Warren cited "legislative difficulties" as the reason Wingecarribee Shire Council could not be returned before the local government elections in 2024.

"Local government elections under the act are scheduled for September 2024. For us to make a guarantee that we can do it before would require a legislative change, and we can't give that guarantee," he said.

"The guarantee we can give is that we want to see a review as to the current administrative arrangements to ensure that the people of Wingecarribee are well represented.

"We know and the feedback we are getting on the ground is that the people of Wingecarribee are feeling lost and confused, and want to see democracy returned; but most importantly they want a local council that's democratically elected to provide them with the essential services and resources that they need," he said.

Mr Warren put a spotlight on NSW councils that have been in administration since before the last local government elections "and some even before that". He said this was "unacceptable".

"In terms of providing a date for the elections we as the NSW Labor Opposition are committed to ensuring every council in this state goes to the election in September 2024," Mr Warren said.

According to Mr Warren the Labor Government is committed to seeing all NSW councils go to the polls "where appropriate and where feasibly allowable".

"That must happen here in Wingecarribee," he said.

"Ultimately people want to see a good council put in place. They don't like the idea of having a Government-appointed administrator; they want to have their local council elected and represented here in Wingecarribee right throughout the entire region.

"At the end of the day they have a Government-appointed representative; that's not good enough, that's not consistent with community needs and expectations," Mr Warren said.

On returning members of the disbanded council in 2021 to local government in 2024 Mr Warren said the past "was not good".

He said he was sympathetic to the concerns of Wingecarribee residents but that in terms of who could contest there was particular guidelines for the electoral commission.

When pressed about whether sacked councillors from 2021 would be able to stand again for election again in 2024 Mr Warren said it was a matter for their own conscience.

"Personally, if I was in their position I would certainly strongly consider where my place would be. However, that's a matter for this community," he said.

"You can't sugarcoat what happened in the past. I read it; I saw it; I heard it; I read the entire review on the public inquiry. It's not pretty so I think people need to have a good reflection on what they want to do; if they want to run for council, why do they want to do it? Because at the end of the day local council is about local communities and it's them that matter the most."

Labor candidates for Goulburn and Wollondilly Michael Pilbrow and Angus Braiden said local residents want Wingecarribee Shire Council returned.

"I hear a lot about the local council," Mr Pilbrow said.

"I hear people's desire for democracy where they have elected councillors who are accountable to them and to see a transition back to the position where they will get to vote again for their local councillors."

He said the common thread being raised by community members was for "local representation informing local governance".

"It's their voices that we want to have informing decisions made by this local council," Mr Pilbrow said.

He was proud of Labor's commitment to provide "a sensible transition back to sensible, reliable local government". Mr Pilbrow says it will provide people some "certainty".

"To offer training and mentoring so that by the time we get to the election we are ready for a council that will represent the community's needs," he said.

Mr Braiden said Wingecarribee Shire Council had experienced a period of "turmoil".

"This has clearly had a big impact on our community and ... we've had to overcome a huge change in our current system of council," he said.

Mr Braiden said the suspension of council in 2021 was "a shock" but not surprising.

"I've had family that have worked for Wingecarribee Shire Council at various points so I've seen how the staff primarily, have been impacted by the change," he said.

"What we've had since 2022 is essentially the movement of locals away from their position in local government. The locals do not have a position in local government in Wingecarribee."

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Mr Braiden is committed to changing this by 2024 and ensuring that "we never have this situation again".

"We want to be pushing forward to ensure that in 2024 as we move toward the local government elections we have local representation that is well trained and well prepared for the job of local government," he said.

The Labor representatives reiterated that it would be difficult for NSW Government to take council out of administration until 2024 and hold a by-election.

"The general elections are scheduled for 2024. If we were to have an early election that would have to be a matter for the Parliament and we don't know the make-up of the Parliament right now," Mr Warren said.

"Do we want to see something come back sooner rather than later? Of course we do. We want to see democracy come back here in Wingecarribee as soon as we can. Can I stand here and make that promise to do so? No."

Mr Warren said it would cost too much money.

"If we were to say for arguments sake that we would have an election in September 2023 that means you're looking at between $200,000 and $300,000 for an election and then in 12 months time you've got to go back and spend that same amount again," he said.

"That's not fair on the people of Wingecarribee; it's a lot of money. Ratepayers are already paying a lot of rates; money is tight in family homes and I don't reckon it would pass the pub test to say we're going to spend beyond a quarter of a million dollar to go to an election just to have another one in 12 months time."

When pressed about what they had to offer that was different from the Liberal Government, Mr Warren said it was the promise to return Wingecarribee Council in 2024.

"You cannot trust this Government when it comes to administration," he said.

"They have left councils in administration beyond the last local government elections and even the ones before that. It's a lazy approach; we won't have that lazy approach."

Mr Warren said local residents and council staff were committed to getting council into a good place to provide the services Wingecarribee "so desperately needs".

He said a Labor Government would provide council with support to get back on its feet.

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"We cannot see one reason why the people of Wingecarribee will not have their say in September 2024," Mr Warren said.

"Morale is a huge issue amongst many other things here in Wingecarribee; not just morale amongst staff, they have a vacancy rate that needs to be addressed as well ... There's also the financial modelling, which we committed to review as well.

"Council can't do it on their own. We're going to be here for the people of Wingecarribee and we're going to be here for Wingecarribee Council so it can be well functioned and we get an elected body back for the people of Wingecarribee," he said.

Mr Warren said local councils were an arm of the state and "they can't do it alone".

"I'm of the stern view that Wingecarribee Council is in the position it's in because of a lack of leadership from this Government and ironically also the Local Government Minister [Wendy Tuckerman] who is also the local member [for Goulburn]," he said.

"I think that's unacceptable. I would not accept that in my own community, I do not accept it in any council across NSW."

A Labor Government will give local government candidates training and mentorship so that they better understand their obligations.

"When you look back in the past it wasn't pretty; it wasn't good," Mr Warren said.

"We don't want to see the mistakes of the past repeated."

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