Local election: Northern Beaches Council could turn Greener - Northern Beaches Review

PITTWATER should demerge from Northern Beaches Council, but there's still time to win that battle, potential new councillor Miranda Korzy says. Around 20 per cent of votes are yet to be counted following the local government election on December 4, but so far Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNB) and Liberals look certain to get a seat each in all five wards on the 15-member council. While the final five seats are less certain, things may become a little Greener. Pittwater ward Greens candidate, Miranda Korzy, has nabbed almost 20 per cent of the vote so far, and is looking likely to get her first seat on council after missing out at the 2017 election. READ ALSO: COVID-19 alert following Christmas by the Beach event In the Frenchs Forest ward, Greens candidate Christopher Burns has secured 13 per cent of the vote and could get a seat. In the Narrabeen ward, Ethan Hrnjak has the fourth highest number of votes (11.9 per cent) and sits behind long-time Independent councillor Vincent De Luca who is running in third place. In the Curl Curl ward, Greens candidate Kristyn Glanville has received the third highest number of votes (15 per cent), but she's closely followed by Labor's Brandt Clifford. Earlier this year Ms Korzy helped launch a petition to demerge Pittwater from the Northern Beaches Council, and said residents in this area would be better off on their own. "Any decision that affects our area, Pittwater councillors can be out-voted on," she told the Northern Beaches Review at the time. As she edges closer to getting her first seat on council, Ms Korzy said she still believed Pittwater should be demerged, but would not comment on whether she would push for this if elected. "I'm still a member of Protect Pittwater who is the organisation that wants the split," she said. "If I was on council my job on council would be to represent Pittwater." Ms Korzy said the NSW Government has a 10-year limit on requests for a demerger, and that there was still time to push for one, but admitted this may not happen until the next local election in 2024. READ ALSO: New ferry operator wanted for Manly to Circular Quay route Mayor Michael Regan, who has won his seat in the Frenchs Forest ward, said there had been no talk of demergers from the public during the election campaign. "The record spend on infrastructure over the last four years in Pittwater goes to the heart of underspend of the previous Pittwater Council and underspend on maintaining assets," he said. "We've reinvested your rates, matched with state government grants in the community." READ ALSO: Get breaking news from the northern beaches as it happens Cr Regan said planning controls will be tightened in Pittwater and some developmental decisions in the past four years were the result of controls and approvals made by the previous council. Ms Korzy's claim of a lack of rangers in Pittwater was denied by Cr Regan who said there had been no reduction. He also rejected her claim that there had not been enough focus on sea level rise. "Council is an award winning environmental council," he said. In the Narrabeen ward, Liberals candidate Bianca Crvelin looks certain to be elected as a first-time councillor. "I'm very chuffed and really looking forward to what I can do fo the area," she said. Mother of two Ms Crvelin admitted that she "got quite cranky" that decisions were being made by councillors who didn't represent people like her. "I didn't want to be one of those people who sit and whinge about it, I wanted to do something about it," she said of why she chose to run. Postal votes for the local election will be accepted until this Friday, with the final result to be known just before Christmas. The election on December 4 was for the 15 councillors who will serve on Northern Beaches Council. A vote on who becomes mayor will be made by the councillors at their first meeting on December 29. Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor at: editor@northernbeachesreview.com.au Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

PITTWATER should demerge from Northern Beaches Council, but there's still time to win that battle, potential new councillor Miranda Korzy says.

Around 20 per cent of votes are yet to be counted following the local government election on December 4, but so far Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNB) and Liberals look certain to get a seat each in all five wards on the 15-member council. While the final five seats are less certain, things may become a little Greener.

Pittwater ward Greens candidate, Miranda Korzy, has nabbed almost 20 per cent of the vote so far, and is looking likely to get her first seat on council after missing out at the 2017 election.

In the Frenchs Forest ward, Greens candidate Christopher Burns has secured 13 per cent of the vote and could get a seat. In the Narrabeen ward, Ethan Hrnjak has the fourth highest number of votes (11.9 per cent) and sits behind long-time Independent councillor Vincent De Luca who is running in third place.

In the Curl Curl ward, Greens candidate Kristyn Glanville has received the third highest number of votes (15 per cent), but she's closely followed by Labor's Brandt Clifford.

Earlier this year Ms Korzy helped launch a petition to demerge Pittwater from the Northern Beaches Council, and said residents in this area would be better off on their own. "Any decision that affects our area, Pittwater councillors can be out-voted on," she told the Northern Beaches Review at the time.

The record spend on infrastructure over the last four years in Pittwater goes to the heart of underspend of the previous Pittwater Council.

Northern Beaches Council mayor Michael Regan

As she edges closer to getting her first seat on council, Ms Korzy said she still believed Pittwater should be demerged, but would not comment on whether she would push for this if elected.

"I'm still a member of Protect Pittwater who is the organisation that wants the split," she said. "If I was on council my job on council would be to represent Pittwater."

Ms Korzy said the NSW Government has a 10-year limit on requests for a demerger, and that there was still time to push for one, but admitted this may not happen until the next local election in 2024.

Mayor Michael Regan, who has won his seat in the Frenchs Forest ward, said there had been no talk of demergers from the public during the election campaign.

"The record spend on infrastructure over the last four years in Pittwater goes to the heart of underspend of the previous Pittwater Council and underspend on maintaining assets," he said. "We've reinvested your rates, matched with state government grants in the community."

Cr Regan said planning controls will be tightened in Pittwater and some developmental decisions in the past four years were the result of controls and approvals made by the previous council.

Ms Korzy's claim of a lack of rangers in Pittwater was denied by Cr Regan who said there had been no reduction. He also rejected her claim that there had not been enough focus on sea level rise.

"Council is an award winning environmental council," he said.

In the Narrabeen ward, Liberals candidate Bianca Crvelin looks certain to be elected as a first-time councillor.

DEBUT SEAT: Liberals candidate Bianca Crvelin looks certain to be elected as a first-time councillor in the Narrabeen ward.

"I'm very chuffed and really looking forward to what I can do fo the area," she said.

Mother of two Ms Crvelin admitted that she "got quite cranky" that decisions were being made by councillors who didn't represent people like her. "I didn't want to be one of those people who sit and whinge about it, I wanted to do something about it," she said of why she chose to run.

Postal votes for the local election will be accepted until this Friday, with the final result to be known just before Christmas.

The election on December 4 was for the 15 councillors who will serve on Northern Beaches Council. A vote on who becomes mayor will be made by the councillors at their first meeting on December 29.

Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor at: editor@northernbeachesreview.com.au

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

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Local election: Northern Beaches Council could turn Greener - Northern Beaches Review
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