DEAR News Of The Area,

I WRITE in response to the article on 6 January 2022 on the front page of the Port Stephens News Of The Area that featured Councillor Leah Anderson expressing her concerns with the lack of gender representation on the council.

Port Stephens Council is made up of a group of people elected by the people for the people (ratepayers) to represent, to make sure the rate payers money is spent in a proper and just manner and take the ratepayers concerns to council.

Councilors are a servant of the people, and paid by the ratepayers.

All councilors are equal whether they are a man or woman.

Councilor Anderson, there is no room for gender, racism or politics.

There is a code of conduct for councillors to follow.

Councillor Anderson was only elected approximately one month ago to Council for her fist time and has not had time to even to find out how the Council works and the people that work at the Council.

Councillors do not run the Council.

It’s the hard workers in the council staff, the administration, accounts department, management, heath, planning, workers in depots etc.

The list goes on and on.

Councillor Anderson should look around at Port Stephens Shire and see what needs to be achieved.

Take Nelson Bay Road for example, which was blocked at Christmas with traffic at Salt Ash.

The road needs to be widened from Salt Ash to Bobs Farm, now.

There are very few weather shelters at all sporting fields.

Karuah should be a thriving town ,but is going broke, it needs advertising and signage on the highway.

Raymond Terrace is the business hub of Port Stephens Shire with all the banks, the court house, Police station, council headquarters, and hundreds of businesses.

The town needs to grow with four to six story accommodation and office buildings.

Councillor Anderson, if you want to go down the path of gender and racism you should seriously think about resigning from the council.

It is an honour and privilege to serve as a councillor.

A councillor is not a boss or a manager, they are servants of the ratepayers.

For a council to operate it does not need councillors, or a third tier government.

Regards,
Peter COOPER,
Raymond Terrace.