Bega Valley Shire presents interesting field for local government election

NSW local government elections are less than a month away and one South Coast shire is gearing up for what could be quite the shake-up on 14 September.

With the devastation of the 2019-20 Black Summer fires seared in the minds and hearts of voters across the Bega Valley Shire, the swing against climate change denial stances is evident – except to some of the incumbent conservative councillors who are struggling to read the room.

Four of the current councillors who have put their hands up to be the shire’s mayor (this is the first direct mayoral election), including incumbent Russell Fitzpatrick, have just voted against immediately installing one or more electric vehicle chargers in the Bega townsite, which would have been funded by a state government grant.

They are Tony Allen, David Porter, Mitchell Nadin and Fitzpatrick. They were joined by Karen Wright who also voted against the EV chargers, but she isn’t standing for council again.

They successfully got the motion deferred to install EV chargers on council sites.

The motion was raised by Greens Deputy Mayor Cathy Griff.

What seems like a no-brainer positive move for Bega businesses was voted down by a majority of the nine-person council.

It’s got plenty of residents seething and champing at the bit to get to the ballot box next month.

The shock is resonating throughout the shire.

Zena Armstrong, a member of the Renewable Cobargo team that has already installed EV chargers in Cobargo, Bermagui and Tathra, expressed the frustrations many local residents are feeling about the EV decision.

“I don’t get it. This is easy money for local councils,” she said.

“Putting aside the matter of transitioning to renewables, this decision will not help Carp Street [the main road through Bega’s town centre] businesses.

“EV drivers will simply charge up in Narooma, Cobargo and Bermagui or Cann River and drive on past Bega.

“It’s a lost opportunity to get more visitors to stop in Bega for an hour or so, have a coffee, do some shopping and support Bega businesses. How very odd.”

This decision was taken while local businesses are pushing ahead with building a renewable energy economy in the wake of the fires’ destruction.

The area’s biggest employer, Bega Cheese, is leading a clean energy focus to drive the shire’s circular economy.

A region that has traditionally been conservative rural has swung to the left in recent state and federal elections, with some of that sentiment destined to transfer into the local government election next month.

Sea and tree changers from Canberra and Sydney (and to a lesser extent even Melbourne) explains some of that change in demographic and voting intentions.

But no-one should underestimate the impact the fires have had on the community.

After being confronted with the shocking realities of climate change and a conservative prime minister (Scott Morrison) who holidayed in Hawaii while they lost homes and loved ones, voters across the Bega Shire now have a vastly different mindset.

The state seat of Bega is held by Labor’s Michael Holland, who won it in a by-election in February 2022 with a swing of 13 per cent. It had never been a Labor seat before.

Holland got a further swing of just over 14 per cent in last year’s state election.

He beat Liberal Party candidate Fitzpatrick, the same incumbent mayor seeking to be returned – but as an independent.

In the federal seat of Eden-Monaro, which was once quite the bellwether seat, Federal Minister Kristy McBain holds it for Labor with a majority of around 17 per cent.

She is Bega’s former mayor and also sat on the council as an independent.

At the last council election the ALP’s candidate Leanne Atkinson withdrew six weeks out and was replaced by arts administrator and former ABC journalist Helen O’Neil (half-sister of Federal Minister Clare O’Neil), who topped the poll.

She was the only ALP councillor after the last local government election (four years ago), but this time is heading a four-member council team and is running for mayor.

David Neyle, a Labor candidate for council, spoke to the council this week in favour of the EV chargers, and lamented the outcome.

“A majority of the existing councillors simply don’t care about our need to transfer away from fossil fuels,” he said on social media.

Conservative councillor and mayoral contender Mitchell Nadin has put together a five-person group of candidates, some who are small business owners.

But the chaos of Liberal Party headquarters not registering candidates in time leaves their status unknown – although Nadin has assured everyone he has resigned from the party.

Nadin’s claim to fame is as a cadet reporter working for The Australian newspaper in 2012 when he ignored controversial broadcaster Alan Jones’ comments to a Young Liberals fundraiser that Julia Gillard’s father had “died of shame”.

The outrageous comments became a massive news story once revealed, but not for the Oz.

Former mayor Tony Allen, a dairy farmer whose family runs the Cobargo pub, has also put his hand up to return to the shire’s top job.

He gained national attention when he accompanied Morrison on his disastrous trip to the Cobargo Showground following the fires.

Allen was seen trying to cuddle young Zoey Salucci-McDermott who was reluctant to shake Morrison’s hand.

He is now relying on the farming vote to reinstate him as mayor, but many beef and mixed farmers feel alienated against him due to his favouring of dairy farmers after the fires.

David Porter, also running for mayor, claims to have been Australia’s pioneer of just about everything to do with personal computers.

It’s an interesting field and September 14 is promising to be an interesting day for the Bega Valley Shire Council.