Coffs Harbour Council have spent $25,000 so far for Bypass Campaign

Coffs Harbour Mayor Denise Knight has revealed the cost so far for the council’s bypass campaign.

In an interview on Triple M on Wednesday morning, Cr Knight said that the Coffs Harbour City Council have so far spent $25,000 on signs, stickers, and banners with the message “Bypass Now, Tunnels not Cuttings”.

Many locals are questioning the spend, saying that it’s a waste of ratepayer money, but the Mayor doesn’t agree.

“The spend so far on the campaign is $25,000, our budget, we can spend up to $50,000”, Cr Knight said.

“$50,000 compared to a $1.3 or $1.5 billion project to get it right, you know, if they got it right in the first place, none of this would be happening”.

According to the Mayor, the campaign is being undertaken to hold whoever wins the election accountable.

She said that the Coffs harbour City Council ratepayer funded campaign will ease up prior to the election before ramping up again after the election.

“We’ve spent $25,000 to date, we will now settle the campaign down. We’ve got extra money, the extra $25,000 where we will ramp up again after the election”, Cr Knight told Triple M.

Along with a website, Facebook and Instagram, the campaign also has stickers on Costal Works vehicles driving around the city.

When asked if the General Manager, and executive team’s council vehicles will have the stickers, Denise Knight said she wasn’t sure if they were allowed to as they are leased vehicles.