Community safety a priority issue for Bellingen Labor Council Team Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - August 2, 2021 The Labor Council Team standing at the upcoming Bellingen Local Government Election has announced it’s focus on local community safety. COMMUNITY safety is the number one issue to be addressed by the Labor Council Team vying for a position on the incoming Bellingen Shire Council at the upcoming local government election. Under Labor’s plan, council spending will be directed at prioritising safer roads, protecting waterways and farmlands from pollution, ensuring best practice on forest and fire management, and creating jobs to reduce crime in the area. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Bellingen candidate for Mayor and Councillor Andrew Woodward said Bellingen Shire Council has a role to play in community safety. “There’s no greater job for government at any level than to protect its citizens from harm,” Mr Woodward said. “Our scarce road funding must be spent on blackspots and high traffic areas. “All available road funding will go toward fixing council-controlled blackspots first.” Mr Woodward said the Labor Council Team was committed to cleaning up local waterways and farmlands by establishing a new unit in council to act as a watchdog to ensure the Forestry Corporation acts within the law. “The days of the Forestry Corporation acting as it likes will be over,” Mr Woodward said. “The watchdog unit will also ensure the Forestry Corporation helps protect the Shire from fire. “We’ll hold them to account and ensure that they put the safety of citizens first.” Mr Woodward said unemployment is a key contributor to crime in the area. “We have plans for creating jobs in the Shire,” he said. “If we can get unemployment down, reductions in crime rates will follow.” Mr Woodward said addressing community safety was the first of eight proposals the Labor Council Team has planned for Bellingen Shire. The Bellingen Shire Council and Coffs Harbour City Council local government elections, which were scheduled to take place on Saturday 4 September, have now been postponed to Saturday 4 December by the Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock, due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in NSW.
