The posters have been up for weeks, the candidate forums have been held and social media has been full of it. Now, with only three more sleeps until the council election, it’s important you set aside time to vote on Saturday. If you can’t get to the polls then it’s imperative you cast your vote at the pre-poll in either Ulladulla or Nowra.
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In Australia, voting is not just a right; it’s a responsibility, enforced by a fine if you don’t meet your obligation.
At the last federal election some 8000 registered voters failed to cast their ballots. Had they done so, Bill Shorten could have become our Prime Minister if Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis had lost. Alternatively, the electorate might not now be sitting on a razor thin margin.
Local government affects all of us more directly than any other level of government. Its conduct determines how our streets and neighbourhoods are shaped, assures the supply of drinking water to our homes and the removal of rubbish from them.
Local government decides what can be built and where. It constructs and maintains the infrastructure that is vital to economic survival.
Many people find is all too easy to dismiss council affairs. Local government sits on the bottom rung of our federal system and its remit can seem parochial. And let’s face it, the hectoring and noise it generates, especially around election time, can be shrill.
However, without local government, our quality of life would be very different and not in a positive way.
The rubbish would sit on the kerb, the roads would dissolve, the parks and playing fields would be overwhelmed with weeds.
That’s why it’s so important to have your say at the ballot box this Saturday.
We do not believe it is our place to tell you how to vote. However, we think it is important that you do vote. There’s not much point complaining about your council if you did not play a part in electing it.
Navigating the tangle of information and election pitches and the occasional character assassination in a campaign that’s been fought on social media can be difficult. However, asking yourself whether you’re happy with the level of services council provides, the rates it charges, the amenity of your neighbourhood or town, the accessibility to your elected councillors and the tone of leadership should help you make your decision.
If you do just one thing this Saturday, vote.