Christopher Pyne: The Adelaide councils that should merge next

SA councils have merged before, in the late 90s. It’s long past time some of them did so again. Here’s some prime candidates.

Christopher Pyne: “Seriously, are the 8000 or so residents of Walkerville Council – including Vale Park, Gilberton and Medindie – so different that they need a council of their own?” Picture: Colin James

There are far too many local government districts in South Australia. Local government should take the lead and initiate friendly mergers between obviously like-for-like councils.

In the late 1990s, some councils did just that. Across the state, the number of council districts dropped from 119 to 68. This occurred in the city and the country.

Port Adelaide merged with Enfield and Port Adelaide-Enfield resulted.

St Peters, where my great-grandfather was an elected member, and Norwood and Payneham all merged.

Unfortunately, they were unable to agree on a common name, despite an exhaustive consultation process, and so settled on the catchy Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council.

Brighton and Glenelg councils merged to become Holdfast Bay Council.

Hindmarsh Woodville Council and Henley and Grange Council created Charles Sturt Council.

Amazingly, the sky didn’t fall in. Amalgamating local communities achieved economies of scale, better and cheaper services and the financial heft to do more significant economic developments that have created jobs and helped economic growth in SA.

It took foresight and guts from local mayors, their councillors and staff to bring these mergers about.

Since then, the world has shrunk even more. Social media, the digitisation of almost all things and easier transport and travel have connected communities even more.

It is time to address the issue again. There are some obvious candidates for merger. Across the eastern suburbs there is no reason not to create a council that could easily be named East Adelaide and encompass Campbelltown, Burnside and Norwood/Payneham and St Peters.

Through the centre of Adelaide, Adelaide City Council could include Unley, Prospect and Walkerville councils. Seriously, are the 8000 or so residents of Walkerville Council – including Vale Park, Gilberton and Medindie – so different that they need a council of their own? Such a constellation would make for a more viable economic unit for all four of these councils.

Given the success of the merger of the councils in the western suburbs in 1997, now is a good time to visit the idea of merging Marion with Holdfast Bay to create a beachside council and, further north, Charles Sturt and West Torrens councils.

Just these mergers would mean that 11 councils would become four – one in the east, one in the centre and two in the west. This would match Port Adelaide-Enfield across the north, Tea Tree Gully in the northeast, Mitcham and Onkaparinga in the south and Adelaide Hills.

It makes a lot of sense.

Despite my recent purchases since moving to the Adelaide Hills of two chainsaws, a ride-on mower and, most recently, a whipper-snipper, I am a 50-year veteran of Adelaide’s east, so I will refrain from offering advice on district council mergers in the peri-urban, regional and rural areas of SA.

Given the distances, economic interests and topographic features of our vast state, I am sure I would wander into unwelcome and uncharted territory if I began offering advice to my country friends.

There are social and economic benefits to merger.

The economies of scale achieved would flow through to lower rate increases for long-suffering ratepayers. The savings made in less duplication and red tape would flow through to better services and support structures for those who are more in need than others.

Larger councils would attract higher quality elected members and staff because they would be dealing with bigger issues, larger budgets and more interesting proposals for reform and economic development.

That occurred after the first wave of mergers in the late 1990s and would inevitably happen again.

Brace yourself for the backlash to the idea. The same people will oppose mergers who opposed them in the 1990s. Apparently, the side of Kensington Road that is in Norwood is uniquely different from the side of Kensington Road that is in Rose Park!

We will hear how the communities that local councillors represent in Victoria Avenue, Unley Park, have nothing in common with the people of Avenel Gardens Road, Medindie.

We will hear about the unique history of the River Torrens community of market gardeners in the northeastern suburbs versus the supposedly different community of market gardeners that created similar communities along the River Torrens in the western suburbs.

The truth is, the history of white settlement across Adelaide since 1836 is not long enough to be that diametrically different. It is a self-indulgent notion to think that it is.

The only people in the area that makes up the modern-day Adelaide Plains who can claim to have a long history and commensurate diversity that comes with it are Indigenous Australians who have been here for many thousands of years.

Bigger is better. Especially when what is supposedly bigger is not that big in the great scheme of things, after all. So let’s get over it and get on with it.