Four years on, it's another Barham, Tucker face-off | Northern Rivers Politics | Local Politics in Northern Rivers

Four years ago, Jan Barham created history by becoming Byron Shire's first female mayor and Australia's first popularly elected Greens mayor.

Her main rival then was veteran councillor Ross Tucker who, in the final count, lost by 758 votes.

And the pair, whose ideologies are poles apart, are about to face off again for the top job when electors vote for a new council on Saturday, September 13.

While at this early stage they appear to be the main contenders, they won't be alone in the fight for the mayor's chair.

Cr Jan Mangleson will be throwing her hat into the ring as will Cr John Lazarus and it won't be a surprise if Cr Bob Tardiff, expected to be number one on a Labor Party ticket, also nominates for mayor.

No doubt there will be more. There were eight mayoral candidates in 2004.

Cr Barham said the priority issues for the next term would be the management of the ecological, social and economic pressures due to climate change and the continued delivery of services to the community.

The real test, she said, was looking at the performances of councillors over the last four-and-a-half years.

She hoped she had been able to show the community she had been committed to achieving outcomes and was genuine in trying to protect the interests of the shire.

Cr Tucker, who contrary to belief has never been a member of a political party, believes the ALP may benefit from any disenchantment with the Greens and if Cr Tardiff stands for mayor, he will be a genuine contender.

Someone with 'high profile appeal', like Olympian Ron Clark on the Gold Coast, also could emerge at the last moment.

First elected to the council in 1991, Cr Tucker said the 'failure' of the present council to provide community facilities such as a Byron Bay bypass, Byron Bay library, Suffolk Park child care centre, sportsfields in Byron Bay and Ocean Shores and the Youth Activity Centre upgrade would be election issues.

Another major issue, he said, would be the breakdown in governance a 'disunity' between the elected council, council management and the public and poor management of finances where there had been continual rate increases but no provision of services and facilities.

"I think the community wants bricks and mortar not philosophies and ideologies for it rates dollars," he said.

"We have done stuff-all in my view in the last four years.

"There have been a lot of strategies but we can't build a public toilet. If you can't build that, a library looks pretty distant."

Cr Tardiff, although seeking re-election as a councillor, was coy about a mayoral candidacy. However, he said a decision would be made this week.

Cr Tardiff wasn't so coy when it came to his appraisal of the present council's performance.

"As far as I am concerned, we have been through the worst period of governance this council has ever seen," he said.

"There has been no understanding literally by the mayor and a number of councillors of their role and their relationship with each other and the community and most importantly, what their relationship with the administration should be."

Cr Mangleson said there was a lot of 'unfinished business' that had to be resolved including bypasses for Bangalow and Byron Bay and improving transport across the shire.

She said other major election issues included securing sporting fields for Ocean Shores and Byron Bay and affordable housing.

Cr Lazarus said there was a strong basis to build a good future for this shire, a future that 'provides a place where we want to live'.

"There is work needed to ensure that we get there," he said.

"I'm putting up my hand to build a strong shire management, based on community consensus; a management that builds a robust and effective council that facilitates the community's potential capacity.

"Socially, environmentally and economically, this shire has led the way and we have the ability to continue to lead. I would like to be a part of shaping this shire's future, assisting where I can, and taking a leading role where necessary.

"For me I feel that the two of the most pressing election issues are residential amenity, and a responsive financially sound council that provides services and infrastructure equitably to all." Of the sitting councillors, only Ray Kestle will not be seeking re-election on September 13.

The Byron Shire News invited those councillors standing for re-election to nominate the two stand-out issues that should be addressed by the new council.

CR DIANE WOODS Cr Woods said she believed the main issues were the lack of completed works year after year.

"The provision of basic infrastructure needs, particularly in the light of the safety audit conducted for Brunswick Heads and what is required to assist in alleviating problems," she said.

"The provision of youth services and in particular sporting fields for the north of the shire."

CR PETER WESTHEIMER Cr Westheimer said he was not in a position yet to speak regarding running for re-election and intended to put out a media release this week.

But he said the main issues would be responding positively to the local challenges of climate change and population pressures as they applied to strategic planning, infrastructure, tourism, transport improvements, creative industries, peak oil realities, local food production and outlets and community harmony. Another major issue, he said, was choosing candidates who were capable of considering quadruple bottom line - environmental, social, cultural and financial - responsibility on all issues .

CR TOM TABART Cr Tabart said he would be applying to be on the Greens' ticket.

"I am willing to go again firstly because there are a number of initiatives I wish to progress like our first affordable housing project which is partially funded and in progress," he said. "Otherwise I think it is crucial that a majority of councillors be aware of the huge challenges that are starting to impact on the environmental, social and economic health of the shire. "In the face of global warming prognoses and the effects of fuel cost escalation (two main challenges) it would be extremely dangerous to have a majority of climate/fuel sceptics who think that nothing has changed since the 60s and that all will be OK as long as 'business as usual' is observed."

CR RICHARD STAPLES Cr Staples said fostering - or at least not blocking - sustainable solutions for human settlement was one of his main objectives.

Other major issues were energy, water, transport, food which meant not merely being a tool of the various big industries that operated in these fields.

He favoured decentralised water and waste management and solar energy. Cr Staples said responsible financial management was another major issue for him.

"I've been there long enough to know how bad it can get without adequate vigilance from the elected members," he said.