Uralla Shire Council is set to be one of 9 councils in NSW that will see a Mayor and both Wards A and B go unopposed at this year’s Local Government Elections.
The NSW Electoral Commission has declared, following the closing of nominations last week, that the number of nominations received matched the number of vacancies, which means those who have nominated will be elected unopposed.
Charles Sturt University political scientist Dominic O’Sullivan says the apparent low appetite to seek elected office in the LGA could be due to either a lack of trust in local government, or that people might also be too busy focusing on household pressures due to the cost of living crisis.
Other factors weighed in are a reluctance and fear of running, with potential councillors put off by the prospect of having to deal with an overwhelming amount of negative feedback on social media platforms.
However, the Constitutional Referendum, scheduled to take place alongside the election, will proceed as planned, therefore residents are reminded they will still need to vote on the 14th September.
