Councillor Bob Geoghegan running for Maitland Mayor

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

With a local election looming in September, Maitland Councillor Bob Geoghegan is today announcing plans to nominate for Mayor of Maitland City Council.

As the endorsed Liberal Party candidate, Councillor Geoghegan is seeking the top position on Council. Citing years of experience with state government, he believes he has the strong working relationships and knowledge of community issues to fulfil the role of Maitland Mayor.

"I think I've got the right combination of energy, and experience, and passion and respect that's needed to be the Mayor of Maitland and to keep the city progressing as it has," he said.

If elected, Bob Geoghegan says there's a number of key issues he'd like to focus on including traffic congestion on the New England Highway, Testers Hollow Flooding and the new Metford Hospital.

"But the one that I've identified initially is the issue of value for money and the cost of living for people. I think the next Council has to be very aware of that and make sure that we get very good value for the ratepayer's money."

He says he hopes he and his team, which will be announced in the coming weeks, have a good chance of being elected.

"I think that's the challenge for me is to convince people that the best result for Maitland would be if I was Mayor. There will be a team announced in the coming week and they are very good candidates and I'm hoping that they will also be elected and they will support me."

Councillor Bob Geoghegan [Image: Maitland Mercury]

Off-Leash Parks on Cessnock Greens' Agenda

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

The Cessnock Greens have outlined their plan to call for improved conditions at local off-leash dog parks across the Local Government Area.

Some of the parks have been called little more than an open field, while others have had their safety brought into question with un-fenced storm water drains running nearby.

Council's are legally obliged to provide off-leash dog parks.

Greens Candidate for Ward C David Atwell says Council don’t need to do much to make the parks more inviting.

“The very basic stuff is putting in a tap with a water trough.  At the moment, I couldn’t find one water tap level and something where the dogs can a drink of water on a summer’s day,” he said.

“It would [also] be better to put in some more trees.  Could put in some agility courses and what not, doesn’t have to be anything major.”

Local Council's are legally obliged to provide off-leash parks as part of the State Government's Companion Animals Act 1998.

"There must at all times be at least one public place in the area of a local authority that is an off-leash area," the Act says.

It is up to the Council's discretion to decide when that park allows dogs to be exercised off-leash

The Cessnock LGA currently has six off-leash dog parks, including two in Cessnock, while Branxton, Greta, Stanford Merthr and Weston all have one each.

David Atwell has since called for one to be established in Kurri Kurri.

“Kurri Kurri is Cessnock Council Area’s second largest community after Cessnock itself, but there is no off-leash park in Kurri Kurri,” he said.

“There are a number of parks around that area which could cater for at least a section of the park being acting as off-leash.”

“I can’t see why that issue could not be raised in a future council.”

Cessnock will be holding its local government election on September 10. 

[Image Source: Monmouth County Park].