"YOU can't unscramble this egg. It's too late.''
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That was mayoral aspirate Peter Epov's comment when asked if he was in favour of attempting to deamalgate MidCoast Council.
"The egg is well and truly cooked.''
However, Mr Epov believes some of the areas on council's fringes should have the opportunity to decide if they want to remain in MidCoast or move to a council where they are geographically closer.
"Those areas closer to other councils should have the right to determine whether they want to stay in MidCoast or if they want to be a part of another council,'' he said.
"Let me be very clear about this. This is not deamalgamation, this is boundary adjustment based on the concerns of the population.
"The State government brought in a law last year allowing that to happen so those places can determine their own destiny.
"People who live in Booral and Stroud, they're 30 minutes from Dungog and 90 minutes from Taree. People down in Tea Gardens, they're 20 minutes from Port Stephens but nearly two hours from us. So let those people have a choice.
- Peter Epov
"People who live in Booral and Stroud, they're 30 minutes from Dungog and 90 minutes from Taree.
"People down in Tea Gardens, they're 20 minutes from Port Stephens but nearly two hours from us.
"So let those people have a choice. If they want to stay here with us, well, terrific.
"Then the deal is done and there's no more conversations about de-mergers.''
However, Mr Epov concedes he still has reservations about the amalgamation that saw Greater Taree City, Gloucester and Great Lakes councils merge into MidCoast.
"Our costs have blown out and I'm all about finances. We seem to have the wrong priorities and our money isn't being spent terribly well.
"Our staff numbers have gone up by 200. Amalgamation was supposed to reduce our costs.
"Our operating costs are way through the roof. All that means is that we can't spend money on the important things. We're spending more on administration and bureaucracy and less on the things that count."
The state of the roads remains a massive problem for council, Mr Epov contends.
He was at Wingham Town Hall on election day from 8am to 6pm. He said the overwhelming complaint he heard from voters was about roads.
The $100 million roads program that we've had, we are now way behind, it should have taken four years, it will now take probably six.
- Peter Epov
"If you look at our roads program, for the past four years every year we fail to complete $40 million worth of infrastructure works. They're called rollovers into the next financial year,'' he explained.
"But if you're rolling over year after year, you're failing to deliver. What happens is that $40 million you budgeted to spend that year, becomes $44 million the next year, because costs go up.
"And the following year you roll them over again, it's another $4 million, so we're effectively devaluing the money we've got.
"The $100 million roads program that we've had, we are now way behind, it should have taken four years, it will now take probably six.
"If we completed that four year program on time we could go to the government and say we want more money.
"But we've now missed out effectively on two years of additional funding. Because if we go back to them and say we want more money, they say that you haven't even spent the last lot.
"In terms of the amalgamation, I'm also a little critical of the fact that very little was done while we were under administration. That was one of the key problems from where we started from.
"We still don't have a harmonised LEP (Local Environmental Plan).
"When we were first elected and at one of our earlier meetings, (former councillor) David Keegan and I asked this question - how long will it take to get a unified LEP for the whole area.
"We were told two or three years.
"Guess what, we're over four years and we still haven't got it. We will probably be going back to the drawing board on a bunch of other things.
"A harmonised LEP is really important to give certainty to industry in terms of construction and development and to the population.''
Mr Epov said council needs to advocate for a second bridge at Forster-Tuncurry.
"We need to start that work now. I'm all about trying to work with our State and federal representatives and I think we can do a great deal to help them and support them to advocate on our behalf.''
Mr Epov wouldn't be drawn on whether this will be his last term in local government, although he did say that he has three books he'd like to have the time to write.
"I've always said the politics is a young man's game and I'm 67,'' he said.
"So, we'll see.''
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