These are the comments of those who responded. They have been edited.

​Central Ward

Vicki Etheridge: While I was not a fan of the amalgamation, we have it now so let’s make it work.

Wellington has already been left behind for years by its previous council.

If elected I will give a firm commitment that Wellington will not be left behind again. I am looking forward to seeing Wellington achieve its full potential

John Ryan: Personally, if elected, I'd be concerned about the entire council area, not just Dubbo, and my feeling from speaking to most of the candidates is that a sense of justice does prevail in this regard, although this issue will have to be kept front and centre. 

Josh Black: I’m sure all councillors would seek to do the best for the entire area.

The two Wellington ward councillors I expect will be very vocal in advocating for Wellington.

Greg Matthews: Mature councillors will need to be able to look after the entire council area equally.

We have to throw out the “them and us” mentality, which is promoted by the ward system, and see the area as one, working on improving services and infrastructure economically for all residents of the new Dubbo Regional Council.

Kris Stevens: I can assure the residents of Wellington, that if elected, I will be representing everyone in our local government area.  It is the responsibility of local government to deliver services to all its residents, regardless of where they reside.

It is imperative that we now show leadership in and acceptance of our newly connected communities.

South Ward

Greg Mohr: Wellington should never get left behind in the decision-making process, and if they do that’s because the elected councillors for Wellington are not hungry enough to have achievable outcomes for their ward.

In the previous DCC I was the only person who lived in a village and out of Dubbo.

I fought for issues which the rural sector needed and obtained them.

However, when I fought for something it was backed up with evidence and proper consultation. I negotiated with other councillors and consulted staff to gain the best outcomes.

In saying that ever person elected onto DRC should fight for the best outcomes of their constituents.

They should take the whole of DRC into prospective and not just the ward they were elected in.

If every decision is based on fairness and the best outcomes for DRC and its people I can’t see there being a problem.

Manny Portelli: Dubbo now has a vested interest in Wellington and would not like it to fall behind. Less does not mean you are less important.

Douglas Prior: With the agreement of Wellington and Dubbo residents in a referendum, the ward system should be changed to have three councillors from Wellington and eight from Dubbo.

I would go a further step to see if Narromine residents want to be incorporated into DRC, but then have four councillors each from Wellington and Narromine and seven from Dubbo.

Kevin Parker: The new council will represent the region. Do not agree with your suggestion and there is evidence now the town is progressing forward.

North Ward

Ben Shields:

As per my previous answer, considering the sheer size of Wellington, and the need for an odd number of councillors, I support Wellington Ward having three councillors. 

Merrilyn Mulcahy: Wellington is now part of our DRC and will be included in all expenses and needs. They do need a 24-hour police station to help it progress.

Jane Diffey: If the voters elect the right council then there should be no fear of Wellington being left behind.

As a councillor I believe we have an ethical and moral obligation to act in the best interests of the whole local government area inclusive of Wellington, the villages and Dubbo.

East Ward

Dayne Gumley: If elected I will be a councillor for the entire council area.

I will consider all proposals on their merits.

I suspect that Jacob Perry, Wellington Ward candidate, would be pretty vocal too.

Stephen Lawrence: There are so many implications arising from the merger and Wellington’s different needs and infrastructure.

All councillors need to commit to considering Wellington carefully in every decision.

I am sure whichever candidates are elected from Wellington will be strong advocates and ensure this occurs. 

Cody Jones: This can be prevented in part by each councilor elected to the DRC trying to represent the view of every person in the region on big issues regardless of what ward they were elected to.

All councillors elected should keep at the forefront the need to make sure that the merger works and Wellington is taken forward as an integral part of the new council. 

Ana Pateman: I do not believe that this will be the case.

We are one regional council and the council will be responsible for the entire local government area.

The ward system is only for the election.

After the election the councillors work for the entire local government area and it is in the best interest of all to promote and rejuvenate the region as a whole.

Chris Edwards: Elected councillors have an obligation to make decisions for the good of the whole electorate including not only Dubbo, Wellington, the villages and, very importantly, the rural residents who provide a large percentage of the economic activity of our council area.

Perhaps Wellington could be guaranteed at least one representative but from what is happening in the old Dubbo city area, I don't think wards work.

Wellington Ward

Jacob Perry: This is the most important election Wellington has faced and it’s vital Wellington ward does not elect the same old people who are re-standing and contributed to its demise and downfall.

Wellington needs strong leadership like what I offer for them.

We need at least one more Wellington representative from Wellington as well given it is the largest ward by area and includes some very different types of communities that aren't all the same.

David Grant: As a Wellington ward candidate I would hope that any elected councillors understand there responsibility to the whole DRC area.

I would expect that the newly elected Dubbo-based councillors should be taken on a tour and given an understanding of the good things Wellington and the surrounding villages have, but also the issues that are present.

Nine candidates had not responded by publication time.

They are: Lisa James, Tyler Przerada, Nathan Ellis, Nikki Catelotti, Shayne Stiff, Anne Jones, Mark Griggs, Mike Augee and Adam Ryan.

All six candidates for the DRC Wellington ward have outlined their views on the main issues faced by the council in Wellington.

Their comments were published in the Wellington Times on Wednesday and can be seen at wellingtontimes.com.au.

The candidates are: Anne Jones; Mark Griggs; Mike Augee; Adam Ryan; Jacob Perry and David Grant.

The six are vying for the ward’s two seats on the council.

The rest of the 10-seat council will be from Dubbo, where eight councillors will be elected from four wards.

The ward system was introduced after the forced merger in 2016 of the old Dubbo and Wellington councils.

It was explained as a measure to ensure Wellington was represented on the DRC.

Before the merger, the Wellington council had 10 councillors and Dubbo had 11.

Back then, voters in both local government areas were able to pick from the entire field of candidates across the whole LGA area.

Now they can only vote for candidates in their wards.