What if council would really listen to the people?
What if the Peninsula had its own Council?
This thought had never occurred to me until I went to a meeting of the Peninsula Residents Association where it was seriously debated, and where I learned that Woy Woy library was once Woy Woy town hall.
In fact, the Peninsula was self-governing until the middle of the 20th century.
So, what went wrong?
I don't know. You'd have to ask an expert like a local historian.
It may have been a case of an out of reach level of faceless government deciding that truly real local government was too expensive.
Thus the words "Woy Woy Town Hall" were painted over and replaced by "Woy Woy Library", and the citizens were grateful that the lovely municipal building was not going to be bulldozed.
Woy Woy and the Peninsula were absorbed into Gosford Council, which covered a fair slice of the Central Coast.
And so they trundled on, suppressing their former municipal pride and thirst for independence.
Until one day in the 21st century, another faceless bureaucrat had another brainwave.
"Bingo!" they said.
"I've discovered a way of saving lots of money.
"We should amalgamate Gosford Council with Wyong Council and call it Central Coast Council."
And they did.
It is not much of an exaggeration to say that nobody liked the amalgamated council.
Wyong was so far away that the bureaucrats and councillors didn't have to listen to the disgruntled ratepayers.
What happened next was even worse.
The distant, bloated councillors and mayor were sacked by different higher-up faceless bureaucrats, and replaced by an administrator.
And so local democracy died.
Now we have been told to get ready, because in September, we will be allowed to vote for the first time in ages.
Not just the voters are getting ready, but the would-be councillors are shining their qualifications.
It will be nice, of course, to have our council back.
It would be even nicer if it were a real local council for the 40,000 people live on the Peninsula.
That is the size of an average local council in Australia.
The population of the area covered by Central Coast Council is more than 350,000.
How could that possibly be called local?
What if a miracle happened?
Good miracles are rare in a world in thrall to a genocide-abetting gerontocracy, but still, what if?
What if we were able to vote for candidates whom we know?
What if the mayor were the absolutely best candidate for the Peninsula?
And what if they were to paint over the word "Library" and replace it with "Town Hall"?
At the Peninsula Residents Association meeting, everyone had different ideas of what they expected from a truly local Peninsula government.
Getting rid of pot holes was mentioned, as was the process of granting development applications becoming less opaque.
I think we need a better bus service to encourage people to leave their SUVs at home, which would also eliminate the pot holes, I guess.
But for me, really, a Peninsula local council would listen to the people.
It would not threaten to sell off precious woodland for a handful of dollars.
Why? Because the councillors would know and love the trees and the animals who live in them.
I have found, while endlessly campaigning to save a few trees, that political allegiance is trumped by a feeling of belonging.
Total strangers drinking coffee at Ocean Beach rush to sign my petition.
"I live near there", "My aunty lives just around the corner", or "I drive past those trees on my way to work".
For even closer neighbours: "We leave out fruit for the possums", or, "I heard the boobook owl last night".
The bonds of belonging are strong.
Dare we hope?
SOURCE:
Email, 18 Jul 2024
Jane Hendy, Blackwall