MAYOR Col Murray is disappointed the NSW Electoral Commission did not do more to “inform and educate” during this year’s local government elections.
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At the polls this year, Tamworth’s informal vote rose by more than two per cent, while the overall participation rate dropped by a similar margin.
However, the mayor said council running its own election, like neighbouring Gunnedah, had its risks.
“It’s not the role of the local government to advertise and educate about the election,” Cr Murray said.
He said “council needs to think carefully” about running its own elections in the future.
“If there was a challenge or a serious hiccup, it would be an expensive burden on the council,” he said.
“It appears to work well [in Gunnedah], but its a much smaller community, only about 20 per cent of Tamworth Regional Council.
“We just need to tidy up the process. We will engage with the NSWEC and articulate our thoughts.”
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
