The order of candidates on the ballot paper for the Kempsey Shire local government by-election has been decided, with 21 candidates in the running for a place at the Kempsey Shire council table.
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The returning officer oversaw the ballot draw in Kempsey on Thursday, June 30.
In the order of the ballot paper the following candidates are:
Group A: Arthur Bain, Dianne Nolan, Caroline George and Graeme Carrad.
Group B: Simon Fergusson, Joshua Freeman, Daniel Freeman and Margaret Moir.
Group C: Dean Saul, Scott Butterfield, Michael Vella and George Thring.
Ungrouped candidates: Noel Selby, Kerri Riddington, Alexandra Wyatt, Troy Irwin, Andrew Evans, Bruce Raeburn, Stephen McNamara, Kinne Ring and Anthony Patterson.
Current councillors Liz Campbell and VJ Craigie have decided not to run in the by-election.
By-election candidate Noel Selby, who secured the number one position in the ungrouped candidates section on the ballot paper, said it's a positive sign for him.
"I'm very happy with it," he said. "I think it will make a big difference during the election, I hope it does."
Mr Selby said there a number of priorities in the Kempsey Shire community at the moment, including the state of the roads, the airport adventure park proposal and the Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Energy Storage project.
"There are a lot of issues to be sorted in the area at the moment," he said. "The roads are a very big issue, the adventure park is a big elephant that has to be gotten rid of.
"We've got the Oven Mountain Hydro Pumped project which is going to affect the whole district. I've got a lot of things I have to do, and I'll do my best if I am elected."
The voters of Kempsey will return to the polls on Saturday, July 30 for the local government by-election after the Supreme Court approved the application by the NSW Electoral Commission to void the result of the local government election in three shires, including Kempsey, requiring a by-election be held.
At the election all eight councillor roles for the Kempsey local government area will be re-elected.
The Kempsey mayoral election was not materially impacted and the election of Kempsey Shire Mayor Leo Hauville was not challenged by the Electoral Commission. As such he will remain in office until the next local government election in 2024.
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