Now there’s a race

The mayor led a council which ended its term under the watch of a Department of Local Government advisor, who will continue in the role with the new council to try and improve its behaviour.

Also not renominating is deputy mayor Marc Petersen, who had earlier indicated he had to weigh up professional obligations.

The outgoing council will be remembered for disunity and dysfunction, but there is hope for a fresh start when the new council is elected.

Candidates include former mayor Ashley Hall, who was the government’s appointed administrator to oversee the transition into ERC following the merger between Deniliquin Council and Conargo Shire Council in 2016.

Three members of the outgoing council have nominated for another term – Shirlee Burge, Linda Fawns and Shannon Sampson.

Seeking to return to local government will be former Deniliquin councillor Jeff Shand.

Airlie Circuitt is another last-minute candidate who has experience in local government in other regions.

She was a candidate at the 2017 Edward River Council elections but was not successful.

When the deadline for nominations was only minutes from closing on Wednesday, it appeared there may only be 11 candidates, with the last one being local businessman Craig Druitt.

Another well known local businessman in the field is Ken Bates.

But there were 11th hour nominations from Mr Shand, Richard McDaid, Mr Hall, Ms Circuitt and Greg Briscoe-Hough.

Mr Briscoe-Hough is a former Edward River Council employee and continuing ERC ratepayer, although he is registered under his primary address of Mortdale.

Greg Briscoe-Hough was council’s senior governance advisor, and sensationally launched legal proceedings with the Land and Environment Court over what he claims was a breach of the Local Government Act 1993 by the council last year.

It related specifically to leave taken by then CEO Phil Stone, when no formal resolution of council had been made to appoint a staff member to act in his absence.

Mr Briscoe-Hough claims this omission left council under the charge of an “illicit acting general manager”.

In bringing the case, Mr Briscoe-Hough also alleged his employment was terminated on January 6 by the same “illicit acting general manager” as a result of his raising the breach.

However, as Mr Stone had resumed duties on the same day as the initial hearing, the vacancy of office issue was ‘resolved’ and so Mr Briscoe-Hough withdrew his case moments after proceedings began.

Apart from Mrs Burge, Mrs Fawns and Ms Circuitt, there are four other female candidates - the respected leader of the local CanAssist branch Kellie Crossley, local community volunteer Leanne Mulham and former Business Chamber executive officer Donna Taylor, who will be under the name Donna McFeeters on the ballot paper.

The full field of nominations, in the order they appear on the NSW Electoral Commission website, are:

• Frank Schofield

• Leanne Mulham

• Collin Sander

• Linda Fawns

• David Schoeffel

• Ken Bates

• Shirlee Burge

• Donna McFeeters

• Kellie Crossley

• Shannon Sampson

• Craig Druitt

• Jeff Shand

• Richard McDaid

• Ashley Hall

• Airlie Circuitt

• Greg Briscoe-Hough

Candidates will now have a four-week campaign before residents go the polls on Saturday, September 14.