THE local government election has been pushed back three months, prompting calls for the NSW Electoral Commission to make the switch to online voting.
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NSW Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock on Saturday confirmed the election date had been pushed back from September 4 to December 4, "to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities, voters, polling staff and candidates."
It's the second time the election has been postponed, with the current council term extended by 12 months last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The issue which got brought up at Lithgow's council meeting on Monday night, saw councillors have different views on the idea.
Mayor Ray Thompson said they were "stuck with what we've got" just like all councils in NSW and that the change was the now the legislation they were stuck with. Councillor Joe Smith said that other councils such as Dubbo and Orange have accepted the change and so should Lithgow.
Councillor Wayne McAndrew said that President of Local Government NSW, Linda Scott, was also raising the matter that elections should have gone ahead in September.
"I can't understand why regional and rural areas have to put off their election because of Covid hotspots in major city areas and I know Linda Scott has been very strong on that," he said.
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"It's not just a matter of how long it should or shouldn't be, we've already gone 12 months further than we were due to be gone and now it's another three months on top of that, I know Linda Scott has been very strong in saying the elections should have gone ahead in September but looks like won't change now."
Both mayor and deputy agreed the whole issue was a "shemozzle".
"We aren't even sure if it will be held in December now, the way it's going," Cr McAndrew said.
"I understand the closer we get the shorter the term is but we have to come to terms with having this election."
Councillor Deanna Goodsell on the other hand agreed that the elections should be postponed for everyone's safety.
"It's only days, months, weeks until someone comes into our community and then it's rife and I don't want to be in a position where there are local government elections in September when they don't have to be, so put them off until December, make sure everything is as safe as it possibly could be and if it is still around in December put it off again," she said.
Cr Cassandra Coleman said that the NSW Local Government Minister will have to eventually "bite the bullet".
"The election will need to go ahead in December otherwise we will be here forever and a day," she said.
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