Budgewoi Candidate Dedicated to Making Council Put the Community’s Needs First
Joy Cooper, Labor Candidate for Budgewoi Ward, has dedicated the past eight years to scrutinising the Central Coast Council and plans to use her insights to ensure the council works hard for the community following the September local elections.
“I have lived on the Central Coast since moving here with my parents as a high school student. This is where I have raised my family and worked both in real estate and as a teacher,” Ms Cooper said. “I have strong links to this community.”
Ms Cooper said she was proud of the fact that she attended every single council meeting since amalgamation in May 2016 and has been a member of several council community consultation groups.
“I was chosen to be part of the formulation of the first One Central Coast Community Strategic Plan, a process that, if I am fortunate enough to be elected to council, I look forward to participating in again for the next 10-year strategic plan,” she said.
“I have regularly spoken at the community forum held before each council meeting on items included in the Council Agenda or Business Papers. I’ve spoken in the best interests of the community on the against the Special Rate Variation, sale of community and public land and an array of environmental issues.
“I stood up and spoke out against the land selloff that has been underway since Dick Persson took over as Interim Administrator in October 2020 and that has continued under Rik Hart. I have questioned why public land must be sold off now that we are being told the council is in good financial order.
“I was one of the first to oppose the sale of Thompson Vale Road Land at Doyalson. That land was sold for $2 million below the price council had paid for the land. Then it was cleared without approval resulting in the developer being fined.
“Central Coast Council has been under administration for over five out of the past eight years. I have witnessed every public meeting, each resolution, each delegation of power. I believe this knowledge puts me in a strong position to work with directors and the CEO in a newly-formed council, to ensure the interests of residents and rate payers come first.
“If given the opportunity to become a councillor I look forward to having a strong focus on ensuring the sale of public assets to ‘balance the books’ does not continue. I will make sure residents and ratepayers are properly consulted about decisions that impact their lives.
“I am looking forward to being a part of the return to local democracy on the Central Coast and to making sure residents, rather than being treated like an inconvenience, as the focus of council’s operations. The efficient delivery of basic services, not pie in the sky vanity projects, must be the focus.”
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Joy Cooper
0412 258 867