Botany Baysays no to Rockdale merge

The people of Botany Bay have used the power of the pen to reject the proposed merge with Rockdale Council, with 98 per cent of Saturday’s poll turnout voting no.

Botany Bay Community Poll

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Last-ditch efforts are being made across the southeast to stave off the threat of mergers with a poll on Saturday revealing a majority of Botany Bay residents oppose combining with Rockdale.

Ninety-eight per cent of the 7000 residents who voted in the poll rejected the NSW Government’s plan.

Botany Bay deputy mayor Stan Kondilios was pleased to see so many people turn out for the non-compulsory poll and said the figures would help bolster the council’s case against the merger.

Botany Bay's deputy mayor Stan Kondilios casting his 'No" vote at the council's community poll against the proposed State Government merger with Rockdale Council. Picture: Craig Wilson.

While submissions to the Local Government Reform Delegate closed on Sunday, Botany Council were able to secure an extension until Wednesday for its poll.

“To see this level of turnout for a voluntary poll is incredible, especially when there is no guarantee that the government will listen to the result,” he said.

Mayor Ben Keneally also tried to add extra weight to the case by taking delegate Rod Nockles, who is conducting the inquiry, on a tour of Botany Bay to show him there were “no synergies with Rockdale what so-ever, other than very slow traffic in the airport tunnel”.

Randwick Council draft proposal submission with new name Eastern Sydney Council. Picture: Supplied.

In a mayoral minute moved at Wednesday’s council meeting, he laid into critics of the poll which was estimated to cost $90,000. “The Act requires community engagement on these matters and legislators should respect these processes,” he said.

One critic was Local Government Minister Paul Toole who said: “With turnouts traditionally as low as 30 per cent they hardly give a balanced or genuine insight into the opinions of a local community”.

The proposed new five council wards of Eastern Sydney Council. Picture: Supplied.

In Randwick, Labor councillors failed in their attempt to reject the proposed merge with Waverley and Woollahra at a meeting on Saturday.

In arguing his case, Labor councillor Tony Bowen tabled a February Micromexphone survey commissioned by Woollahra council which showed 57 per cent of 400 Randwick residents opposed the merge.

Randwick Town Hall, Avoca St, Randwick. Picture: Supplied.

However councillors voted (9-5) to continue with its plan to lodge a submission in response to the planned merger proposing it be called Eastern Sydney Council and have five wards and up to 25 councillors.