Our former deputy mayor, Simon Murray (pictured), has announced he will stand for election when the amalgamated Armidale Regional Council holds its election in September.
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We hope he will be the first of many who put their hand from the Guyra region.
While there is still much angst in our community over last year’s events, The Argus supports Mr Murray’s sentiment that more voices are needed from the rural regions of the new Armidale Regional Council area.
Our community is still the second biggest in the new shire, and will need to be well represented on the new council, but that will require candidates to stand and for the rest of us to support them. The last thing we want to see is a council made up entirely of councillors from Armidale.
The new council will need voices from outside Armidale to keep shining a light on the needs of our area.
On this page last week we ran a letter from the Guyra ANTY group, which raised its concerns about the amalgamation process, and insisted the fight would continue to see Guyra’s identity and pride revived.
While that fight continues, we must be prepared for the election and to ensure both our identity and pride can live on under the new circumstances.
But that will require our voice to be heard.
A politician who used to represent this region was fond of the saying, the world is run by those who turn up. By turning up, by making our voices heard, it all means the same thing.
One of the best ways to make our concerns known, and use the democratic process to improve our home and our lives is to turn up.
The ANTY group has also called on local voices to be among those standing for council, but group spokesman Gordon Youman said that at the moment the group is relying on Simon Murray as representation.
The Argus would like to see more local candidates. This does not mean an end to the ANTY group’s push to see Guyra again have its own council. They are not exclusive and you can be opposed to last year’s amalgamation with Armidale and at the same time stand for the new council.
If we don’t, we may find our voices do not get heard at all. It’s time for our community to turn up.
Nominations for councillors close at midday on August 9. For information regarding the process of nominating to be a councillor go to www.votensw.info.
