One more year.
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That's how much longer the region's residents will have to wait until the next local government elections after the initially-planned September date was pushed to 2021 by the Office of Local Government (OLG) last week in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notably, the year-long delay doesn't push future election dates which means Mid-Western Councillors will be up for election again in 2024.
The Local Government Act 1993 has been amended to confer on the Minister, a time-limited power to postpone council elections.
This delay however does not affect mayoral elections which will still take place later this year.
Current Mayor Des Kennedy's two-year term expires in August and Councillors will still vote as scheduled.
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Councillor Kennedy said while there is uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, it's on all of us to get through it together.
"There will a lot of economic upheaval after this, so that gives the local council that are in there now a bit of time to try and sort through issues that may arise in the mashup of all this. " Cr Kennedy said.
"It's not a great big deal of difference, we've all got to do an extra year which I don't think worries any of us.
"We've got another year to finish some things and then get over this economic upheaval that's going to be the next, twelve months probably - or longer.
"That's the problem with it all, the uncertainty of it. Not knowing when it's going to end. But we will all get through it as long as we all get through it together.
The OLG on their website elaborated on the decision to delay the election, saying it was in the interest of public safety.
'To provide certainty to councils, communities and potential candidates, the NSW Government has made the decision to postpone the September local government elections in the face of the COVID-19 crisis,' they wrote.
'The decision to postpone the elections is necessary to ensure the health and safety of voters, NSW Electoral Commission staff and election candidates.
'It follows Parliament passing amendments to the Local Government Act to provide the Minister with the power to postpone the elections for 12 months with a possible further extension to 31 December 2021 should the need arise.'
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