As of 3pm yesterday numerous former councillors, mayors and first-time nominees made up the list of candidates.

Pene Dobell-Brown, Jim Morwitch, Carol McCaskie, Timothy McLean, Sharon Wilson and former Great Lakes mayor Jan McWilliams were among the first candidates to be announced.

Karen Hutchinson, Tony Summers, Monique Cahill, Ian McLennan, Christine Stani and Chloe Dalrymple-Hutchinson will contest the election on the same ticket known as the ‘Karen Hutchinson Group’.

Country Labor will contest the election led by Dr David Keegan. The team will also consist of Claire Pontin, John Weate, Gaye Tindall, Graham Robinson and Louise Collins.

Kathryn Bell, James Hooke, Lance Fletcher, Arthur Chapman, Bob Galvin and Jenny Ashton will feature in the election as ‘Bell Team’. 

Brad Christensen, Joshua Crowther, Aaron Temple, Donna Ballard, Mark Barratt, Peter Bolte will run as ‘Brad Christensens’ FreshConnect Group’.

A Liberal group from the Great Lakes will consist of Troy Fowler, Paul Geraghty, Peter Maren, George Jones, Jim Peters and Fred Wheeler.

Former Gloucester mayor John Rosenbaum, Robyn Jenkins, Nawal Maharaj will be on the same ticket while David West, Jason Ryan, Dan Patch, Paul Murray, former Greater Taree City mayor Eddie Loftus and George Wilson will run as a group.

Peter Epov, Frances Crampton, Peter Rankin, David Poole, Kerry Anderson and Jenny Michael are another group as are Len Roberts, Cliff Hoare, Ian Davis, Alacoque Welsh, Stephen Moy, Ronald Craig and Arthur Baker.

Paul Sandilands, Paul Van Drunen, Susan Walker, Malcolm Motum and Russell Gardner will be ungrouped. 

Several candidates attended yesterday’s Manning Valley Businessman’s Association function where they had the opportunity to discuss topics such as the ability to foster a team relationship within the new council.  Pre-poll voting opens on Monday, August 28 and closes Friday, September 8 ahead of the September 9 election.