Of the 27 candidates running for councillor and/or mayor 20 spoke at the Laurieton Meet the Candidates night on Tuesday and 14 at the Lake Cathie event on Sunday.

At each event close to 100 residents attended to hear and question candidates.

Missing from the Laurieton meeting were the four candidates for Group B (Sharon Griffiths, Katie Scott, Sheryl Barnett and June Bricknell), Country Labor’s Karen Wiles and independents Greg Freeman and Des Randall. 

Attending the Lake Cathie meeting were: Group A candidates Michael Cusato and Lee Dixon, Group C Country Labor’s Peter Alley and Mark Hughes, Group D candidates Peter Besseling, Justin Levido and Geoffrey Hawkins, Group E Greens candidates Lauren Edwards and Mick Hall and independent candidates Greg Freeman, Kingsley Searle, Gwaine Robinson, Lisa Intemann and Peta Pinson.

Yet to take up the chance to be part of these forums are: the four Group B members – Sharon Griffiths (mayor and councillor candidate), Katie Scott, Sheryl Barnett and June Bricknell; Group C’s Karen Wiles; and independent Des Randall.

The final meet the candidates night is at Port City Bowling Club Thursday September 1, 5.30pm-7.30pm.

In Lake Cathie and Laurieton candidates were given a time slot each to present their visions and plans for the local government area, before questions were taken from the floor.

Interestingly, only the candidates and one question from the floor in Laurieton brought up the topic of rates. Mayoral candidate Peta Pinson has based her campaign around her belief that the council intend to increase rates by 52.4 per cent.

She spoke on the council’s Fit for the Future documentation, where the figure was mentioned for the purpose of the framework required for the NSW Government’s criteria in assessing the viability of all councils ahead of mergers.

Candidates, including long-time councillor Lisa Intemann, emphatically refuted Mrs Pinson’s claim.

“There is no new rate rise and anyone who is saying differently is just plucking words out of context,” Ms Intemann said.

Roads, open spaces, pathways and catering for future population growth were common concerns among the residents at both meetings.

In Lake Cathie residents expressed concern that the council would cease rate payments through Australia Post.

With housing development steaming ahead between Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills, population growth and the council’s ability to provide adequate infrastructure have been on the radar for the Lake Cathie Progress Association for several years.

“The upgrading of Ocean Drive through the village and additional land for parks and recreation areas were included in the Lake Cathie Progress Association’s submission to NSW Planning in 2010,” said association secretary Sue Warner.

“These issues were raised to cater for the increase in population and to maintain the current lifestyle of residents after Area 14 was developed. No response has come from NSW Planning and the association has referred the letter to our local MP Leslie Williams for a response from Planning.

“There was insufficient time to allow all candidates to address these issues in full. However a number of existing councillors said they were prepared to revisit the Australia Post option or investigate alternate options.”

Water fluoridation and its future in supply was a question directed at mayoral hopeful Peta Pinson.

“I was amazed that our system was not fluoridated until 2012,” she said.

“And rightfully so when the community had voted against it. My research has shown that fluoride was put into the water supply to stop decay in children’s teeth, but there is fluoride in toothpaste. But it may be that the symptoms outweigh the benefit. I will be one vote of nine, if elected as mayor. It will be up to the council if they go to the polls on that. The levels at Wauchope is higher than at Port Macquarie. The dose in the water at Wauchope is higher than the recommendation and at Port the dose isn’t enough. It’s an issue that needs to be relooked at.”

Homelessness was a concern raised at the Laurieton meeting and this topic had candidates keen to express their support in finding ways to help, despite emergency housing being a state government issue.

Independent candidate Gwaine Robinson said the serious issue of homelessness was on his radar, after working in the police force and real estate. 

“I went to Melbourne and saw a bus people had converted into showers for the homeless,” he said.

“I spoke to the people behind it and they said they would be travelling with the bus and coming to Port Macquarie. If I’m elected as a councillor I’ll work to see that happen. If I’m not elected as a councillor then I will make it a personal goal for myself.”

Incumbent mayor Peter Besseling said homelessness was something that the council should assist with, by enabling community groups to provide support and to lobby the state government.

“For council to properly assist with this issue we would really need a separate department set up and we just don’t have the resources,” Mr Besseling said.

“The issue of providing accommodation for people in need is essentially a state government issue and it’s something they pour money into. I would like to see how that is dealt with in the local area and it’s certainly something council can assist with.”

Mayoral candidate Peta Pinson said she disagreed with Mr Besseling on council’s responsibilities on homelessness.

“My idea is to open up the conversation with the community,” Mrs Pinson said.

“There is a place for sponsorship with council and local business to support the homeless and council should be part of that.”

Mark Hughes, candidate from the Country Labor team, said he was involved in the community campaign to save the Food for Less carpark on the Port Macquarie Short Street foreshore.

“While we were fighting to protect the car spaces, there were up to 50 people sleeping rough in the vacant, dangerous supermarket building on a regular basis,” he said.

“We need to work as a community to address this. It’s certainly an issue that the council have the right and the expectation to help, but this is our problem, a community problem not entirely a political one.”​