Note - this is a longer post as it has much detail regarding what unfolded in 2023 with the ward boundary changes affecting our area.
Introduction:
Ballina Shire is currently divided into 3 wards – A ward, B ward and C ward. Last year (2023) there were significant shifts in the ward boundaries instigated across Ballina Shire which is important from an electoral perspective. This article outlines the steps leading to the changes with a particular focus on the ward boundary changes impacting Cumbalum.
Background Information:
The NSW Electoral Commission requires a limit of 10% maximum difference between ward populations. Due to urban growth in Lennox Head, Cumbalum and other areas of Ballina the ward populations as at February 2023 were nearing the prescribed 10% limitation and with council elections coming up in 2024 this needed to be addressed. Up to date, the Council staff have always put forwards suggested changes which the Councillors (who are not considered as Council staff) then vote on to implement.
Therefore, on 23 February 2023, at a Ballina Shire Ordinary Council meeting, Council staff put forwards a motion to adopt changes to ward boundaries. This motion was passed unanimously by the Councillors and upon implementation resulted in the following estimated ward populations:
Ward A 11,562
Ward B 11,803
Ward C 11,257
The staff Council proposal affected 357 resident households. It also resulted in a significant difference of 4.85% between wards - a percentage well within the 10% limit set by the electoral commission. This was accepted and approved by the electoral commission.
However, 6 months later, in August 2023 at a Ballina Shire Ordinary Council meeting, a Councillor, Cr Rod Bruem, put forward a motion to make further changes to the recently accepted ward changes. Council resolved to depart from the Council staff proposal and the original motion. Implementation of the revised proposal would result in estimated ward populations as follows:
Ward A 11,335
Ward B 12,101
Ward C 11,238
This revised proposal created a difference between ward populations of 7.68% (as opposed to 4.85%) – noting that this new ‘revised’ percentage is significantly closer to the 10% limitation. This change also impacted the entire boundaries of East Ballina and Cumbalum and affected over 3000 resident households (as opposed to 357 resident households). Noting that the council was not unanimous and 50% of councillors voted against the motion. The mayors casting vote carried the motion forwards.
What is to be noted is several points:
This movement by individual Councillors against Council staff recommendations on ward boundaries is without precedent in the long history of the Council.
The revised proposal at the time was done without any prior community consultation from those affected including the residents of Cumbalum, East Ballina and other affected areas.
The revised proposal created a percentage difference between ward population of 7.68% indicating that Ballina Shire may likely be back to square one again in a few year’s time and the ward boundaries would need adjusting again as it is close to the 10% limitation.
The revised proposal clearly involved and involves a significant expense and use of ratepayer taxes. 357 vs 3000 homes representing voting administrative changes for an outcome that is closer to the 10% difference (7.68% difference as opposed to the 4.85%) represents a cost that ratepayers need to front.
Clr Rod Bruem argued that the revised proposal had more readily defined geographical areas and therefore would lead to less confusion.
CRA Community Meeting in September 2023:
On the 19th of September 2023 the Cumbalum Residents Association (CRA) held an ordinary meeting with a focus on the issue of proposed changes in B ward boundaries particularly affecting Cumbalum residents. Numerous residents who had never been in attendance to a CRA meeting were present and vocal on the issue. Councillors Jeff Johnson, Kiri Dicker and Rod Bruem also attended the meeting. Clr Rod Bruem provided his rationale to the proposed changes, whilst Jeff Johnson and Kiri Dicker shared their views in opposition to these changes and reasons for this.
Clr Rod Buem stated there were no political agendas with this move. However, it has been suggested that with the transfer of residents of East Ballina from Ward A to Ward B envisaged by the proposal, this could potentially have the effect of increasing support for conservative candidates and preference votes in Ward B at the expense of Labour and Greens leaning candidates and thus could have the effect of entrenching a conservative Council and exclude or marginalise other political viewpoints. Whether it was intended or not, the proposal may have the effect of significantly advantaging some local Council candidates over others, in which case it would interfere with the democratic process of voting for your preferred Council candidate.
After hearing arguments for and against the proposed changes from residents and Councillors, which was at times quite heated, a vote was put to members of the Cumbalum Residents Association to support or object the revised proposal to changes in ward boundaries. The vote as well as community comment by non-members overwhelmingly objected the proposed changes. A motion was carried by a large majority of votes and was echoed by most if not all non-member attendees, for the Association to take the position of objecting the proposed changes and to write a letter of objection to the Ballina Shire Council and the Minister for Local Government/Electoral Commission.
Survey from the Cumbalum Residents:
Following this meeting and during the months of September and parts of October 2023, Ballina Shire Council offered an on-line survey on the proposed changes in ward boundaries so that the community could ‘Have their Say’. When the results were released, it was revealed that there were 57 submissions/responses of which 55 were objecting to the proposal.
Below is a table and text extracted from the Ballina Shire Council Ordinary Meeting minutes on 26th October 2023:
Final decision:
Despite the objection by locals affected, the proposal was endorsed. In October 2023, Ballina Shire Council had an ordinary meeting to determine the final outcome – as the CRA understand it, the council vote was again 50% opposed to the change but the Mayors casting vote meant the proposal was carried.
As a result of this decision, Cumbalum and associated areas are being moved across to A ward, despite the majority of resident submissions clearly indicating that they objected to this decision.
Some residents have asked what purpose there was to the 'Have your say' page that Ballina Shire Council put forward.
And this has also lead many residents to question the ward system, and not for the first time either:
Are ward boundaries for Ballina Shire outdated? Is it time to remove this old system and simplify the approach and hence follow most other Councils approaches?
This decision to abolish the ward boundaries is a local Ballina Shire Council decision that can be made should they choose to do so.
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