Council amalgamations raises fears young and independent councillors will be frozen out

There are growing fears the north shore will only be represented by senior, conservative, career politicians if council mergers go-ahead.

Willoughby councillor Rachel Hill and Lane Cove councillor Karola Brent. Picture: Adam Ward

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THERE are growing fears the north shore will only be represented by senior, conservative, career politicians if council mergers go-ahead.

With councillors on the new bodies to be paid a fulltime wage independent councillors, particularly women with young families, will face overwhelming challenges as the rise of the career politicians in mainstream parties becomes more entrenched in local government.

Willoughby independent councillor Rachel Hill, a mother-of-three said there were already some people spreading the view that there was no place for family orientated councillors.

“I had a colleague state in the minutes of a local committee meeting that a person in my position with a young family will not be able to run in larger council but they would be able to,” Cr Hill said.

“That was purely because they did not work and they were a career politician and so they see this as an opportunity to monopolise.

“When I ran (at 2012 elections) I was running against political aspirants and it certainly was a stepping stone for them.”

Lane Cove independent councillor Karola Brent, also a mother-of-three, agreed with Cr Hill’s assessment and said it was disturbing trend.

“Councils in general tend to attract a bit of an older demographic and we saw a change at the last election and I think you will lose that,” Cr Brent said.

“The attraction of career politicians is a worry. We are seeing it at every level of government and not just in Australia about how people are disillusioned by career politicians.”

Local Government Minister Paul Toole is reviewing merger proposals between Willoughby and North Sydney as well as one including Mosman while Lane Cove is staring down the barrel of joining Ryde and Hunter’s Hill councils.

The State Government claims the mergers will reduce the total number of elected councillors resulting in reduced councillor fees potentially delivering $37.4 million in savings to metropolitan councils.

Cr Brent did not believe the savings would be delivered and the changes would only serve the political class.

“Local government will just become a stepping stone for people who want to step up to the state or federal level and I am not convinced it (mergers) will attract the best talent to manage local government,” she said.

Cr Hill said independent councillors who run election campaigns on the smell of an oily rag while meeting the demands of family should be given a helping hand.

“It is going to be tricky, I work part-time, four days a week and I am juggling children at the same time but I want to be involved in local government,” she said.

“(If we do not receive support) then a whole demographic of the north shore community will be left behind if councils are forced to merge.”