Serving the Coast community

SOS no-seawall campaigner, Corinne Lamont, is running for Central Coast Council at this September’s election.

You may know of Corinne Lamont through her volunteer work, leading the Wamberal Beach SOS campaign to stop the seawall. Corinne works passionately and tirelessly to ensure everyone, including future generations, can enjoy the Coast. Corinne is also an active supporter of the Tuggerah Lakes community’s efforts to get a solution to reduce flooding there. 

Corinne has lived on the Central Coast for over 30 years, raising her children here, first at Wyong, then migrating south to Killcare, Terrigal and Wamberal.

Corinne understands how important it is to protect the Coast's incredible, treasured natural assets - assets that enticed most families to live here. She also understands the importance of attracting increased investment to the Coast to create jobs and sustainable business opportunities that increase prosperity across the region. Corinne knows this can be done with fair dinkum community engagement and consultation, not the usual pretend consultation we’ve been served up by Council for many years. 

 We all need to think about what we want the Central Coast to be and look like in five, twenty years and beyond. We need Councillors and a Council that will engage honestly and transparently with and in the interest of all. We need Councillors with vision - a Council that looks to the future, protecting and achieving what is important to all of us, sustainably and fairly. We need to unlock the Coast’s potential by looking after it and allowing it to thrive and prosper as a region, providing opportunities for everyone. 

With the emerging education and health precinct in Gosford, there is an opportunity to develop the Central Coast as a vibrant technology, science and professional services innovation hub. Wider manufacturing and rural sectors would benefit from this as well. Council needs to keep supporting and driving initiatives such as the “Night time Economy Strategy” and the “Uptown District Acceleration Program” which should extend to other areas on the Coast. We also need to step up the Coast's festivities calendar to boost the tourism and retail sectors that employ many locals on the Coast. Corinne Lamont will work to promote jobs and opportunity on the Coast.

The SOS no seawall campaign has given Corinne insight into Council’s operational issues, opportunities and failures, especially with respect to governance, trust, transparency and culture. Corinne has gained experience in dealing with Council senior management, media and State and Federal MPs and Ministers of all political parties to get action for the Coast. Corinne knows how to get things done and won’t be fobbed off. 

Council has many dedicated front-line staff who work hard to provide vital local services. Most Council staff are also community members, and their honest opinions are important. Being a Council officer should be more than just following orders, so Corinne will back a culture where Council’s front-line also has a voice. Corinne learnt years ago that dedicated staff often spot opportunities for improvement, but they need to be listened to. Corinne has heard that people are less inclined to work at Council, especially since Council amalgamated and then went into Administration. Council is understaffed and the reasons for this must be examined, and changes made so that Council attracts and retains the best suitably skilled workforce. 

 We need to get real democracy back on the Coast. Corinne believes this can only be achieved with healthy cultural change led by senior Council management. Two smaller Councils, Wyong and Gosford were merged to become one very large Council, the third largest in the state, with its population expected to grow to 420,000 by 2036. With the budget being stretched more and more, we need strategic financial governance and leadership at Council to address the growth challenge. Things must change to help us flourish in a different future. Council needs to be setting records other than the most complained about Council in NSW. While Councillors are limited in their influence in some operational matters, I aim to be part of a new group of Councillors who will encourage and insist upon a positive culture and an improved, trusted Council identity, and a Council delivering what the community wants.

Corinne, a former Martin Place bank manager, owns an education technology export business with her husband. Corinne led over 60 staff early in her banking career, overseeing the daily balancing of transactions much larger than those at Council. She is a successful local business owner and property investor who studied accounting and is comfortable analysing and auditing financial reports and business plans. She is a skilled leader, sets high expectations, cutting to the heart of important issues, a fair, no-nonsense straight shooter.

For Corinne, being the best Councillor for the Coast community is all about listening, acknowledging diverse opinions, representing balanced views, working hard and smart with others for the greater good, regardless of what side of politics you sit. That’s the responsibility Councillors have. We all know winning sometimes means striking a balance to achieve the best results. Sometimes hard choices and actions must be made, but that can only successfully happen with open, honest and transparent dialogue between Council and the community. 

Corinne is running for The Entrance Council Ward that extends from Magenta in the north, around the lake to Tuggerah, all the way south to Wamberal. At the election, Corinne seeks a mandate as an Independent Councillor to successfully pass Notices of Motion to stop Council’s support of a Wamberal Beach seawall and to see The Entrance channel cleared to reduce flooding around thousands of Tuggerah Lake homes and improve the health of the Lakes before it’s too late.

Corinne sees stopping the Wamberal seawall as something that is incredibly important for the entire Central Coast. According to outgoing Administrator, Rik Hart, a seawall at Wamberal could become the first of many along the Coast. That’s not on. 

In addition to the seawall and lakes flooding issues, Corinne understands local priorities such as local roads, sensible development, housing and cost of living pressures. That’s why Corinne will drive initiatives that create jobs, business and sustainable development across the region.

While not an expert on everything on the Coast, Corinne is a good, empathetic listener and problem solver, a quick learner who is excited about working with other Councillors to make the Coast the very best it can be and to restore the community’s trust in Council. 

If you are interested in helping Corinne achieve this and would like to join her campaign, or for media inquiries, please call 0403816452 or email corinne.lamont22@gmail.com