Andrew Sloan from the Kiama Greens, councillors Warren Steel, Brian Petschler and Neil Reilly, and independent hopeful Gavin McClure at the ballot draw last week. Picture: Dave Tease
COUNCILLOR Brian Petschler's team will be in prime position on the ballot paper at the September 8 Kiama Council election after the order was drawn last week.
While Cr Petschler said he was "ecstatic" with the leading listing, he did not believe his team would benefit from donkey votes.
Groups drawn lower in the order were quick to agree - Gavin McClure, whose team will be listed sixth and last, was among them. "There's no donkeys in Kiama," he said.
Candidates would not speculate on where the 36 per cent of votes incumbent Mayor Sandra McCarthy's team won in 2008 would go, but Mr McClure thought the 449 informal votes would be reduced.
"With a change in faces, I think many people will want their vote to count," he said.
While councillor Neil Reilly's Community Voice team made the noon nomination deadline by three minutes, no new teams made a late bid for election.
Two of the teams' running orders have changed. Mr McClure will run in top spot for Group F instead of Gerringong's Roy Schmidt, and former Kiama Council employee Peter Moore and Mr McClure's wife, Kay McNiven, will replace John Nisbit and Wayne "Pee-Wee" Bennett, who were unable to run.
Meanwhile, Kiama-Jamberoo RSL sub-branch president Ian Pullar has joined his secretary, Dennis Seage, on the campaign trail as the fifth member of group.
Kiama Game Fishing Club president Mark Way was the only solo candidate.
Kiama and District Chamber of Commerce will hold a candidate night at The Pavilion on Wednesday, August 29 at 6pm, giving voters an opportunity to meet the candidates.
Questions voters would like put to the candidates can be sent to executive@kiamachamber.com.au.