Shoalhaven's Civil Beat
With less than a week until pre-polling begins for the 2024 Shoalhaven City Council election, The Spark has rounded up our coverage here in a one-stop-shop package including Q&As with Mayoral hopefuls, podcast interviews with lead candidates in each ward and ongoing coverage of issues that matter.
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Ladies, It Ain’t Easy Being Independent
by Cat Holloway / With mayoral destiny in mind, Shoalhaven’s three top political candidates each straddle the personal and party line with a unique groove. Jemma Tribe’s previous experience sitting in Shoalhaven Council was sometimes fraught with tension over pressure to vote with other councillors. “I have been pressured and it
Welcome to the Mayoralympics
by Cat Holloway / With wattle blooming throughout Shoalhaven, and Olympic green and gold fever tempting us to strip off the winter layers and take up swimming along our beautiful coastline, Paris 2024 has captured the nation’s hearts and minds and the Paralympics haven’t even begun. I’m a sucker for heart-stopping
How can politics be peaceful?
It’s Day 1 of the Shoalhaven Mayoralympics and up to the starting blocks step our two competitors, Kaye Gartner and Jemma Tribe. Both these women bring to this race significant community service resumes and each benefits from the experience of managing their own business. Both have also been Shoalhaven Councillors
Feeling the Pinch
The Mayoralympics, Heat 2 For some people, the cost of living ‘crisis’ is about mortgage repayments and house prices. For others, it is about paying basic medicine and food bills. For politicians, it is an emotive battleground. Local councils don’t cause problems with inflation, property booms and stagnant wages, but
We want it all. We want it now.
We just don’t want to pay for it. Today’s Spark Mayoralypics chases a stance on the hot-button issue of rates. Of all the council topics, rate rises probably stir up the most fear and anger. However, there are publicly available numbers that provide ratepaying voters with a rhetoric-free picture of
Road Rage
There’s one thing everyone agrees on - no matter their age, location or politics. Potholes suck. With Shoalhaven City Council responsible for a vast network of local roads, the subject is raised by every candidate and constituent, usually in frustration. Councils are responsible for the management of local road
Talking Trash: which way do your bins face?
Rubbish rhetoric is overflowing from all Council candidates about attempts to get Shoalhaven’s waste under control. But what actions will help clean up our mess? Local councils manage waste, but in May, a parliamentary committee heard from the United Services Union that the NSW government is withholding more than half
A Vision Splendid
With our Mayoral candidates, Spark has so far explored the “Roads, Rates and Rubbish” responsibilities that were priorities in the Local Government Act of 1919. But today, we consider the broader work of modern local councils and the role the Mayor plays in planning for the future. According to the
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Lead Council Candidates On Air
Conversations around upcoming Local Government elections are firing up in the Shoalhaven. The Spark has teamed up with Triple U Shoalhaven Community Radio to bring you the station’s interviews with each of the lead candidates in each ward. These interviews complement our 2024 Mayoralympics project that explores the position and
SPARKING DEBATE ON THE BIG LOCAL ISSUES
SPORT FOR ALL -- AFFORDABLE HOUSING -- COUNCIL SPENDING -- RUBBISH REVOLUTION
