The COVID-related delay of the council election means Bob Pynsent has become Cessnock's longest-serving mayor, with nine years and three months in the chair.
Cr Pynsent is retiring at the election, and looks back on his time on council in his farewell column below.
As I hang up the mayoral robe and chains after more than nine years as Mayor and 22 years as a councillor on Cessnock City Council it is a good time to reflect.
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In 1999 I was asked to take a number two position on the Ward B ticket, not realising that there was a chance of being elected. I was thrust into local government quite unexpectedly when elected.
After three years I was elected to the Deputy Mayor position which gave me a taste of leadership.
After standing for Mayor at the 2008 election, I was disappointed to be unsuccessful, but not as disappointed as the cost to council resulting from issues in ICAC, Supreme Court and other legal cases.
When elected as Mayor in 2012, I soon realised what a massive task lay ahead. With the NSW Government rating each council under the 'Fit For The Future' initiative, it was fantastic when Cessnock Council was deemed fit and the prospect of amalgamation with neighbouring councils was taken off the agenda.
This term of council allowed for the examination of its financial position and efficiencies which ultimately made council 'financially sustainable' due to the achievement of benchmarks determined by the Office of Local Government.
Council took a 'can do' attitude which was highlighted when the Japanese National Football team trained and stayed in Cessnock prior to the Asian Cup tournament.
Acknowledgement of our world class sporting facilities encouraged other codes - Wallabies and A-League - to set up a pre-training venue here.
With re-election as Mayor in 2016, council took advantage of the platform built over the previous term.
Innovative initiatives enabled council to gain substantial grant funding from State and Federal Governments to enact planned projects, for example, new signage across the LGA in villages, towns and Wine Country.
Recreation facilities were a high priority with Bridges Hill Park being the showcase as well as upgrades to smaller parks. Spending on roads, bridges and footpaths was unprecedented.
It was fantastic when the Seniors Festival and Youth Week were recognised at NSW state awards. This increased pride in our community and showed that Cessnock is a winner.
The impact of the drought, bushfires, floods and COVID-19 all demonstrated the resilience of the greater Cessnock community through collaboration and cooperation.
The future of the Cessnock LGA is bright. With population increases, the demographic is changing as young families choose to live in our LGA.
It's the 'welcoming, thriving and attractive' nature of the area that stands out.
Consequently, an increase in infrastructure funding is needed to cope with the demand and upgrades.
Through the vision of this current council the opportunities for job creation are looking positive - such as Hydro, the Black Hill Precinct and the Cessnock Racecourse pre-training facility - meaning that more people can live and work in the Cessnock LGA.
I thank Council for their fantastic dedication and collaboration over the past five years.
I believe that I'm leaving the Cessnock LGA in a better position than when I started.
