FORMER mayor Pat Bourke is the only councillor from the old Urana Shire elected to Federation Council in a major setback for the reluctant merger partner.
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Mr Bourke hopes he won’t be the lone voice on the new nine-member council for the 3650 square kilometres of the former shire area including the townships of Urana, Oaklands, Rand, Morundah and Boree Creek.
In a major setback, the Urana Ticket’s No.2 candidate, John Doyle from Oaklands, finished in 10th spot with a push to introduce wards expected to be hot topic before the next election in three years.
“I would have to admit to some disappointment,” Mr Bourke said.
“I thought my colleague John Doyle would have got across the line, but you just don’t know how the cards are going to fall.”
“We are 1000 square kilometres bigger than the rest of the old Corowa Shire and having one is going to make it very difficult.
“I’ve got to be up front and do a really good job for the representation we’ve got now.”
Merged council areas including Murrumbidgee and Murray River both have wards, but not Edward River and Snowy Valleys.
The Urana Ticket consisted of 10 members in a bid to overcome the population disadvantage with the larger centres of Corowa, Mulwala and Howlong.
Mr Doyle said the ticket did everything in its power to get more than one person elected.
“If we sat as individuals we would have got nothing,” he said.
“The biggest concern now is the strength of the council and how it will operate.”