Moments after announcing the amalgamation of their two independent parties, Campbeltown councillors Josh Cotter and Warren Morrison made their first big commitment: bring back the Fishers Ghost Festival parade.
The pair will run on a joint ticket at the September 14 local government elections under a new name: Community First – Totally Independent party.
Before that, at next month’s council meeting, they will table a notice of motion asking that the festival parade, which was axed a few years ago, be reinstated as part of the annual festival.
Cr Cotter has been on council for almost three years after being elected under the Community First banner in December 2021.
Cr Morrison has been there for two terms; he was elected for the first time as part of the Totally Locally Committed (TLC) party ticket in 2016.
TLC was founded by the late Fred Borg in 2004.
Community First was founded in the same year by Paul Lake, who went on to become mayor of Campbelltown.
“We want to go back to grassroots issues – sometimes stop worrying about the $20 million plus projects and think about what’s happening on the ground,’’ Josh Cotter tells the South West Voice during an interview.
As well as being on council, both are heavily invested in community activities, Cr Morrison with 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur and Cr Cotter with the Rise Above Foundation he and his wife Jessica founded almost 10 years ago.
“I also helped out in the community with my business for 30 years before 24 Hour came along, supporting local sport groups and charities,’’ says Cr Morrison.
Josh Cotter, who will be number one on the Community First – Totally Independent party ticket, says he sought election years ago because he decided he wasn’t just going to complain about things he didn’t like that were happening at council.
He is obviously in the category of people who want to get elected to make a difference.
But history has shown that people who just want to make a name for themselves seek to do it by also getting elected to office.
Cr Cotter agrees and offers some advice to voters ahead of the election: “Some people get on the council and it’s very much about themselves, about the position of councillor and getting that title.
“For both of us, and hopefully our record shows this, it’s just about serving the people of Campbelltown.’’
How can you have ‘independents’ to belong to a ‘party’?