Vlatko and NSW Electoral Commission returning officer Vanessa Reschke last Wednesday.
Barry Knight will be sworn in as a Cobar Shire Councillor later this month after being elected unopposed last week.
Barry was the only candidate remaining in the by-election to fill the vacancy left by the recent retirement of long-serving councillor Harley Toomey.
The NSW Electoral Commission’s returning officer, Vanessa Reschke, declared the election uncontested last Wednesday morning after the only other candidate, local businessman Andrew Allcock, withdrew his nomination.
This means Cobar residents will no longer be required to vote on November 28.
Barry said he was “surprised but relieved” that the community would not have to go through the election process.
Council’s newest councillor brings plenty of experience to the role, having previously served on Cobar Shire Council for 12 years, from 1988 to 2000, including a period as deputy mayor under the late Mayor Lilliane Brady OAM.
Barry said he doesn’t intend to go into his first Council meeting with “all guns blazing”.
“I will be cautious but, no doubt if I feel the need to contribute to the discussion, I will,” he said.
Following Council’s recent decision to spend $200,000 on a dog park at Ward Oval, which sparked a lot of debate on social media last week, The Cobar Weekly asked Barry for his thoughts on the project.
“Not being aware of Council’s finances, it’s hard to say,” he said.
“It is a concern that the proposed dog park maintenance will be approximately $10,000 per year.
“Based on what I know, Councillor Chris Deighton’s idea of near Tom Knight Memorial Oval is a good move,” he said.
