He lost Warrimoo seven years ago, so long-time Liberal councillor Daniel Myles couldn't hide his delight in council last week when his ward was mooted to score back parts of Faulconbridge after a recent reshuffle was done.
"Welcome back Springwood High, welcome back Norman Lindsay Gallery," he told the assembled gallery.
With wards not allowed to vary by more than 10 per cent in numbers, the wards are now having their first reshuffle since 2008 to ensure resident numbers remain steady in the four Blue Mountains wards.
For Blue Mountains councillors it was a chance to share war stories about parts of the electorate they had helped and lost over the years.
"It's a sad day for me," said councillor and deputy mayor Chris Van der Kley, "part of my ward is going to Ward 3, I'm losing my constituents, I hope the Ward 3 councillors look after my Ward 2 residents".
Clr Myles, 43, of Springwood, who is in his 15th year as a councillor, said he had "crocodile tears for the deputy mayor".
"We once lost a suburb, we solved just about every problem in Warrimoo -like the aeration of Warrimoo Oval -just when it was moved out."
"And Warrimoo's never been happier," added Mayor Mark Greenhill, whose ward now takes in the town.
The review was announced at last week's council meeting [Tuesday August 18]. The Local Government Act requires councils to adjust ward boundaries where the difference between electors in wards is greater than 10 per cent.
In 2008, 20 streets in Warrimoo (then Ward 3) went to Ward 4 (the Lower Mountains) and 21 streets in Faulconbridge and Springwood from Ward 2 (Wentworth Falls to parts of Faulconbridge) were moved to Ward 3, including properties in Chapman Parade and the many streets around the Norman Lindsay Gallery.
The NSW Electoral Commission data at July this year shows Ward 1(Leura to Mt Tomah) has 14,182 residents; Ward 2 (Wentworth Falls to Linden and a small part of Faulconbridge) 15,546; Ward 3 (Faulconbridge to Sun Valley) 13,848 and Ward 4 (Warrimoo to Lapstone) 14,553.
Some 707 voters will move from Ward 2 to Ward 3 if the proposed boundary adjustment goes ahead. It will mean a change of ward for residents on Chapman Parade in Faulconbridge and the streets which run off it, and also residents on the eastern side of Grose Rd, north of Chapman Parade.
Voter numbers will remain unchanged in Wards 1 and 4 but Ward 3 will be reduced to 14,839 voters and Ward 3 will increase to 14,555. The proposed ward boundary plan will be on public exhibition during September with council accepting submissions on the issue until October 14.
Ward 2 councillor Annette Bennett called the proposed boundary changes "sensible and sound".
Councillors are elected for four-year terms. The next council election will be held on September 10 next year.
