Former Labor MP and senator Belinda Neal is among a host of high-profile candidates attempting to re-ignite their political careers in the upcoming Central Coast Council elections.
The councils will hold its first local government election in seven years, after a $500-million debt plunged the council into administration, forcing it to miss the 2021 election.
All up, there are 77 candidates standing across the five wards, including four former mayors, six former councillors and two former MPs.
Ms Neal is among the most high profile candidates, spending seven years in Parliament House as both a senator and Member for Robertson.
The Labor candidate said the upcoming local government election was a full circle moment, with her political career beginning as a Labor councillor in the now-defunct Gosford council.
"That's what ignited my interest in representing my community - I found it quite satisfying talking to people about their issues and actually solving them," Ms Neal told the Newcastle Herald.
Ms Neal's political career has been stalked by multiple scandals, including a infamous altercation with staff at a waterfront bar called Iguana Joes in 2008, later dubbed 'Iguanagate'.
In 2017, she was expelled from NSW Labor for a form of branch stacking called 'walking the books'. However, the ruling was overturned in 2022, and this year she was awarded life membership in recognition of her contribution to the party.
Despite the political baggage, Ms Neal said "in the end, experience and know-how counts".
"It's really important that people with experience are elected to deal with these difficult and complex issues," she said.
"I think some of the issues of the previous council were due to inexperience in some important areas. I know how local government works and I know how to get things done."
The first Central Coast Council mayor, Jane Smith, is another familiar face standing for election.
Two former Wyong mayors - Doug Eaton and Greg Best - are also standing, as is the last mayor of Gosford council Lawrie McKinna.
Wyong and Gosford councils were amalgamated to the former Central Coast Council (CCC) in 2016.
Former Liberal MP and ultra-marathon runner Pat Farmer is also standing for Team Central Coast.
Mr Farmer served as the federal member for the southwestern Sydney seat of Macarthur for almost a decade. He rose to prominence last year, running more than 14,000km around Australia to raise support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
CCC's finances are expected to be in the green in time for the newly-elected councillors.
It's expected to pay off the last of its $150-million in emergency loans by the end of this year, its capital works program has been expanded to $300 million, and it returned a small surplus of $10 million.
