Allegations made this week in an ABC Four Corners investigation into the Obeid family, and their backing of major coastal developments, has shone a spotlight on local councils and their responsibility, first and foremost, to transparent governance in the best interests of the community it serves.
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The sale of council-owned public land on Pacific Drive in Port Macquarie, conditional on the approval of a proposed development application by Laurus Projects - one of the development projects the ABC alleged had links to the Obeid family, came under scrutiny.
Not only are residents claiming there has been little public consultation on concerns many have over the impact the proposed 68-unit apartment will have on the coastal facade of Pacific Drive, many are now raising questions over the validity of selling off public land to accommodate such projects.
Journalists across our network of regional newspapers in NSW have been giving the tier of local government a bit of a health check.
We are interested in what grassroots issues matter to residents outside of the big cities, in our regional towns and villages.
When you go to the polls on December 4, will you be concerned about the makeup of your council?
We crunched the numbers on diversity in local government and spoke to some trailblazers among women councillors, indigenous councillors and young councillors.
Disturbingly, there are several councils in, or recently out, of administration, an exercise that comes at great cost to the community both in terms of dollars and public trust.
We took a look at three case studies, retracing the troubled path of democracy at Wingecarribee, Armidale and Port Macquarie Hastings councils.
We also question what standards of behaviour we expect in the council chambers, after this video of some unseemly behaviour at Bega Valley Shire Council went viral.
People will be encouraged to vote via pre-poll and mail to meet COVID safety, but here's how to vote if you are not fully vaxxed.
At the end of a tumultuous couple of years, and with dramatic events in the State and Federal arenas stealing the headlines, it can be hard to adjust our gaze to matters closer to home.
We'll do our best to bring you as much information as we can to make sure we all have the best representation we can beyond December 4.
