Hard to believe, but Campbelltown byelection could get the flick

The bad news is that Campbeltown ratepayers will be slugged around $500,000 if the March 18 byelection goes ahead.

The good news is that there is still some hope the byelection won’t be held at all and council can put all that money to better use.

One of the councillors upset at the cost of the poll to replace the late Fred Borg whispered to me last week that frantic efforts are being made to come up with regulations needed to negate the need for a byelection.

It’s still possible,’’ he said.

Time is running out of course, with March 18 less than a month away.

Nominations actually closed last Wednesday, but the NSW Electoral Commission, which will run the byelection, has not yet published the names of any candidates on its website.

As far as we know, Labor is running a candidate, Ben Gilholme, who was in eighth spot of their ticket last September and so is Josh Cotter, who was number two on Councillor Paul Lake’s ticket. Also, Gary Potts, who was third on the Fred Borg ticket.

The byelection is being held to fill the vacancy left by the sudden death of Fred Borg last December

Prepoll is scheduled to open on Monday, March 6.

As they say in the classics, watch this space.

♦ A little while ago today I started talking to the man who came from Flick to give ants, spiders and other little beasties the, well, flick from our home.

Name’s Mark, a lovely fellow from Camden, we started having a little chat and in two questions we landed  another “it’s a small world’’ story.

The second question from Mark was, where did you work.

Soon as I answered, Fairfax, the Flick man was on to me.

Well, you would know my neighbours then, Michelle and Rob Pozo, he says.

Bingo.

Rob’s a photographer with whom I worked at the Macarthur Advertiser and Michelle a journo who was also at the paper for a time.

Michelle now works in the Campbelltown Council PR department following her departure form Fairfax where she was editor of their Camden paper.

I emailed her a note about neighbour Mark and she replied: “He’s a very nice man with a very nice family.’’

♦ What’s with chambers of commerce and sporty guest speakers?

Last week Campbelltown had the Wests Tigers.

Now the Greater Narellan chamber has as its next dinner speaker Paul Gallen.

The dinner is on Wednesday, March 8 at Harrington Grove Country Club.

Gallen was told by one of his first coaches that he was too small to be a successful prop forward in the NRL.

After 34 State of Origin appearances for NSW and 32 Tests for the Kangaroos it’s fair to say he’s proved that coach wrong.

Gallen has retired from rep footy but is playing on this season for the 2016 NRL premiers, the Cronulla Sharks.

In the last couple of years he has also put on the boxing gloves for a few heavyweight bouts, a career he looks set to continue after retiring from rugby league.

♦ I don’t know what powers Greg Warren, but the Campbelltown MP and former Camden councillor never seems to run out of puff.

He’s surely the Energizer of state politics, just goes and goes.

He must annoy the hell out of the government.

Last week, on top of a stack of press releases, social media posts and attending endless functions, Greg Warren moved not one but two notices of motion in the NSW Parliament.

The first one was condemning Gladys and her government for its “inaction in addressing the issue of non-air-conditioned trains on the Campbelltown line’’.

A day later, he was at it again, moving a notice of motion calling on government to allow a debate over the “inadequate 887 bus timetable between Campbelltown and Wollongong.’’

♦ But he wasn’t the only local MP moving motions in State Parliament last week:

Liberal MP Melanie Gibbons, the member for Holsworthy, moved the following notice of motion – That this House:

1. Notes the rediscovery of the Hibbertia Fumana Sieber ex Toelken plant on the proposed Moorebank Intermodal site, a species thought extinct in NSW since 1824;

2. Calls on the Minister for the Environment to approve a scientific study of the site to ensure that the species is not lost to NSW because of development;

3. Calls on the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight to review the NSW Freight Policy, and

4. Calls on the Minister for Planning to place all planning decisions associated with the proposed Moorebank Intermodal Site on hold pending the outcome of the scientific study and review of the Freight Policy.

♦ Across to Camden and it was a shame extreme hot weather conditions forced the postponement of the Date Night outdoor movie event at Oran Park.

The event has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 18, with live music from 6.30pm and Crazy Stupid Love screening from 8pm at Town Park, Central Avenue.

For more information please contact Council on 4654 7777 or visit the website here.