“Look after Cabonne,” was one of the last things voters heard at Molong as they walked into the Community Centre to vote in the Orange byelection on Saturday.
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Marj Bollinger, Ros Chapman and Derek Johnson were just three of the anti-amalgamation supporters urging people to think before they ticked the box.
While it wasn’t personal they were urging residents to put the Nat’s last on their voting papers and send a message to the government that a forced amalgamation with Orange City Council wasn’t the way to go.
Anti amalgamation campaigner Marj Bollinger said they weren't asking people to vote for anyone else in particular.
“We aren’t putting anyone down, we are just pointing out what each party are doing, and it is up to the people to decide.”
And support for their cause has been noticed at the polling booth.
“At the Molong polling booth we have noticed a different attitude, and I have heard it is the same, very positive, in Manildra and Forbes as well,” Ms Bollinger said.
As residents walked up the ramp to vote Ms Chapman made sure they knew who to take care of.
“I’m not telling people who to vote for, all I am telling people is to ‘look after Cabonne’ and I’m getting a lot of thumbs up from people who are walking past me.
“Who cares who people vote for, as long as they put the Nats last and send a message. We aren’t anti Scott personally, but we are anti Macquarie Street.”
Ms Bollinger said it wasn’t the amalgamation that was the main problem, it was more the process the government were using to make it happen.
“They aren’t listening to people so hopefully the voting today will send them a message.
“If we were forced to amalgamate we would lose services in the town, the bank would go, the doctors would go, the supermarket, and the schools would lose the children from those families who leave as well.
“I was talking to someone from Gloucester and she said everything they were fighting for has been taken away. Here we would lose everything and be left with a few empty shops.
“(With an amalgamation) communities would wither and die”.
Lynn Rayner
I am the editor of the Daily Liberal, Mailbox Shopper, Western Magazine and associated western publications (Wellington Times and Narromine News which are both online only publications). I have been the editor for three years. I have been a journalist for 15 years and was formally the digital specialist for the Western NSW area assisting with digital coverage and growth across 13 mastheads, including the three dailies. Before that I worked as a journalist in Lithgow and Mudgee covering a number of different rounds. I established the social media accounts in Lithgow and took an interest in the digital aspects of the paper. I started my journalism career at the former Myall Coast Nota based as the journalist-in-charge at Tea Gardens while also working part time in Forster as the council reporter for the Great Lakes Advocate.
I am the editor of the Daily Liberal, Mailbox Shopper, Western Magazine and associated western publications (Wellington Times and Narromine News which are both online only publications). I have been the editor for three years. I have been a journalist for 15 years and was formally the digital specialist for the Western NSW area assisting with digital coverage and growth across 13 mastheads, including the three dailies. Before that I worked as a journalist in Lithgow and Mudgee covering a number of different rounds. I established the social media accounts in Lithgow and took an interest in the digital aspects of the paper. I started my journalism career at the former Myall Coast Nota based as the journalist-in-charge at Tea Gardens while also working part time in Forster as the council reporter for the Great Lakes Advocate.
