A letter-writing campaign to the Queen against forced council mergers has gone statewide
A MOSMAN couple aims to gather more anti-council amalgamation letters to send to the Queen in a campaign that has gone statewide.
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A LETTER-WRITING campaign to the Queen against forced council mergers has gone statewide.
Mosman anti-amalgamation campaigners William and Jacquie Tuck played a key role in co-ordinating the approach to the Queen by two communities hoping she will intervene in the merger process.
Since the campaign received publicity last week, the Tucks have received more calls for help.
“We have now been approached by country towns statewide that want to come on board and it is now a statewide campaign,” Mr Tuck said.
“We are aiming for 1000 letters; maybe more.
“I feel sympathy for all of the people, the councillors and the mayors, who were fired without notice and frankly, they were devastated.
“If people from Mosman want to do it, we could certainly put the letters together but they should approach us.”
Residents of Ku-ring-gai and the southeastern regional town of Bombala wrote about 260 letters addressed to Her Majesty.
Bombala is part of the merged Snowy Monaro Regional Council.
The letter idea came from Bombala.
Ku-ring-gai residents joined the campaign after the Tucks told Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment president Kathy Cowley that Bombala residents were writing to the Queen.
The Mosman couple helped to gather residents’ individual letters and co-ordinate the pilot letters.
One representative letter from each community was sent to Buckingham Palace.
The original letters will be sent if the Queen asks for them.
The Tucks acted separately to the anti-merger groups they belong to, the Save Our Councils Coalition and Mosman Against Forced Amalgamation, but are certain the groups would support them.
Mr Tuck said it would be a symbolic start if the Queen requested more information.
“It’s very disappointing that our own elected politicians won’t help save our councils,” he said.
“We hope the Queen’s interest will spark something within Premier Mike Baird’s psyche that says: ‘Okay, enough is enough, the seven councils in court can now stay un-amalgamated and we should work at un-amalgamating councils like in Queensland’.”
The Tucks gained experience in regional communities while campaigning against forced mergers through SOCC.
“In Bombala we finally met Penny Judge, the campaigner leading the charge in the town, and she suggested that the only way forward was to go outside the box and the Queen was suggested,” Mr Tuck said.
“We agreed to help her put the letter together for Bombala residents because they were desperate for assistance.
“Bombala is campaigning hard to be de-amalgamated if they can be after the next state election.
“We had written to the Queen before for the Mosman Floral Festival.”
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