Belinda Neal may seek election for Gosford

Former Federal Member for Robertson and former NSW Senator, Ms Belinda Neal, may seek election as the State Member for Gosford.

She said she would only stand for preselection as Labor candidate in the Gosford by-election if the preselection process was democratic.

She said anything less than a preselection based on a rank-and-file vote or a 50:50 determination by the party's State Electoral Council and State Administrative Committee "does not give the locals a say and I will not nominate".

Ms Neal said she had a track record at being "effective at delivering what the community needs" and believed she had a capacity to do so again.

"I am happiest when I am working for the community and delivering," she said.

Ms Neal said her achievements as the Federal Member for Robertson had included: delivering community infrastructure on the Peninsula including CCTV security cameras in main streets at Woy Woy, Umina and Ettalong and in the vicinity of surf clubs.

She secured $3 million Federal funding for the recreational precinct at Umina adjacent to the surf club and $4.5 million to update the water system to improve water quality on the Peninsula.

She also campaigned for funding for capital works in all local public schools.

The local project she is currently most passionate about, whether she gets to be a candidate in the by-election or not, is the Rawson Rd Rail Level Crossing Replacement Project.

She said that, as a resident who uses the intersection of Woy Woy Rd and Station St regularly, it could accurately be described as a "nightmare" between 7am and 9am and 3pm and 6pm.

"It is simply unacceptable to have a level crossing in a metropolitan area," she said.

The by-election campaign would be an ideal time for the community to get an accurately-costed commitment from both major parties to replace the level crossing and reconfigure the intersection, Ms Neal said.

Interview, 16 Feb 2017

Belinda Neal, Woy Woy Bay

Reporter: Jackie Pearson