INDEPENDENT: Helen Ryan

My name is Helen Ryan and I have been a Central Coast resident and ratepayer since 1981.

I have nominated as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Gosford City Council Elections.

Our currently elected councillors have lost touch with the ever-increasing needs of our expanding area and they have aligned themselves with the various major political parties, which have caused infighting within the council.

I believe this situation has hampered the development and vision for our future.

The expansion of Gosford and the Peninsula over the past years has put an enormous strain on our essential infrastructure.

Unfortunately, we have now reached a stage where our roads and drainage systems are inadequate to sustain current needs, let alone the future.

More funding needs to be allocated to roads to ensure we do not see repeats of the problems that occurred with the collapse of The Pacific Highway at Piles Creek causing five deaths and more recently the Bulls Hill landslide which isolated our entire Peninsula community.

Ratepayers need to know the true losses they face through the council's gambling with ratepayers money in speculative investments.

Why weren't these funds used for the purpose that they were collected to maintain and improve infrastructure?

The Gosford CBD has become an embarrassment, a place for people to avoid, a collection of derelict buildings line Mann Street.

People are deterred from the town centre because of anti-social behaviour, and this was impacted on businesses causing relocating to other areas.

A new vision for our CBD is needed and not just a shallow facelift and upgrade of Kibble Park.

Council needs to address the real problems and serve the ratepayers who elected them into office.

Helen Ryan, Independent