Former Emanuel student in battle for Hunter
The Hunter Ward within Waverley municipal council in Sydney has been a Liberal stronghold since 2004….but the Greens are making a strong challenge to gain control of the Eastern Suburbs area in this weekend’s municipal election.
The bye election was necessitated by the former Liberal Councillor Yvonne Coburn’s move to Melbourne.
Hoping to retain the seat for the Liberals is 39-yr-old marketing man Leon Goltsman….a former pupil of the Emanuel School.
Well-known suburbs in the municipality include Vaucluse, Rose Bay, North Bondi and Dover Heights.
Golstman represented Australia in karate in the 1997 Maccabiah in Israel…the Games at which four Australians lost their lives in the catastrophic bridge collapse.
He told J-Wire: “If there is apathy out there amongst the voters and a strong drive by the Greens, then there is every chance they will win…and that victory could easily impact on Waverley Council itself meaning that in the not too distant future we could see a Greens Mayor heading the Council.”
At the present moment, Waverley Council is comprised of 5 Liberals, 3 Greens, 3 Labor and 1 Independent…and will remain so if Goltsman wins Saturday’s election.
But a loss will give the Greens 4 seats and with Labor support enough clout to remove sitting Liberal Sally Betts from the mayor’s seat following September’s municipal elections.
Voting in the election will be held at Kimberley Reserve Community Centre, Military Rd, Vaucluse; Rose Bay Secondary College, Hardy St, Dover Heights and St Anne’s Parish Hall, Oakley Rd, North Bondi.