At the last council meeting on the 19th January (Page 4) the President stated (re the current ward system staying as it is until 2007). We have done well in preserving our democratic right for the Shire. After the fracas of the Quays business, public meetings and even our local MP standing up in parliament decrying the lack of democratic principle in Shark Bay, such a statement is, in the eyes of most locals, farcical. That is why there has been such a resounding vote of no confidence  in the present Council.

So what of the Ward System, As mentioned before, the rule of thumb is 1 Council representative for every 100 votes. The town ward has that with its 5 Councillors, but Useless Loop and Pastoral Wards with approximately 50 electors apiece have 2 Councillors or twice that representation. (This was detailed on Page 8 of the September edition of  The Herald.) A lot of townsfolk can put up with that because of the prevailing culture of the people of the bush, but the irritant is the fact that Councillors Crawford and Cane of the Pastoral and Loop wards, whom we in town cannot vote for and who have been on Council as uncontested members for collectively some 43 years (!), repeatedly make decisions effecting our lives and in total defiance of our wishes.

To a resident of the Pastoral or Useless Loop ward, we ask this: imagine the Shire has to make a decision of consequence concerning an issue in your front yard- say it’s a Telstra phone tower and you say you do not  want it and you get your neighbours together to sign a petition saying they do not want it. You then hear the Denham town Councillors -some of whom you have never met nor whom have taken the trouble to come out and see you - have decided you will have that tower in your front yard whether you like it or not. Democratic?