Singleton election saga unlikely to be settled before Federal vote

BY DAKOTA TAIT

It's unlikely Singleton will be headed back to the polls for a second council election, before the country votes on their Federal members. 

Singleton, Kempsey, and Shellharbour Councils were back in the Supreme Court this week, after the Electoral Commission raised concern, a glitch in the online voting system means the December elections should be overturned.

The Commission says a number of voters were locked out when the iVote program crashed, identifying the three councils as the only ones in which the number would make a difference to the results.

But councillors say the issue wasn't their fault, and another election would be too expensive, both for their campaigns and for taxpayers. 

A mathematical scientist on behalf of a Kempsey councillor also told the court, the data was unfairly interpreted and actually shows another 36 councils should also be in doubt.

Justice Robert Beech-Jones said he would continue to consider the case, but no decision would be made before the Federal election.

Zombie Gas Licenses Bubbling Under Upper Hunter Battleground

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Twelve so-called 'zombie' coal seam gas exploration licenses across the state are becoming a hot topic in the upcoming Upper Hunter by-election following calls to have them cancelled alongside the Shenhua coal mine.

The NSW Parliament is scheduled to debate legislation next month which could see all expired licenses extinguished across the Upper Hunter.

But the Coalition currently hold just 46 of the Legislative Assembly's 93 seats, meaning a failure to retain the seat could give the winner the decisive vote for or against cancelling the licenses.

Independent MP Justin Field, who brought on the legislation for debate, says Upper Hunter voters deserved to know each candidate's position on the license issue.

"They've been hanging over the heads of the community for as much as a decade," Mr Field said. 

"These [petroleum exploration licenses] expired but the Government has refused to make a final decision on their future, whether to renew them or whether to cancel them."

Deputy Premier John Barilaro reportedly told farmers from Breeza in the Liverpool Plains that the Government intended to buy out remaining licenses held by energy company Santos.

Santos also hold four expired licenses across the Upper Hunter.

Mr Field says the actions of Nationals' members did not match up with claims they wished to see uncertainty come to an end for agricultural areas.

"Whoever wins, there's a chance that the Government could be in a minority government after this election," Mr Field said.

"That might mean that there's the balance in the Upper House and the Lower House to see this bill become law."