Latest idea for amalgamations: Mosman and North Sydney
A Mosman councillor suggests merger with North Sydney - “Harbourside Council” - the third amalgamation idea to emerge
North Shore
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MOSMAN is now faced with a trio of merger options, with a councillor seeking support for the idea of an amalgamation with North Sydney.
This joins the jumble of proposals: Mosman, Manly and part of Warringah, or Mosman, North Sydney and Willoughby.
Councillor Simon Menzies started the Harbourside Council Facebook page to promote the idea of one lower north shore council and it has attracted more than 100 likes.
He will bring a notice of motion at Tuesday’s council meeting asking the council to submit a Mosman and North Sydney councils merger proposal to the NSW Council Boundary Review.
Mayor Peter Abelson, however, said the majority of councillors and residents remained strongly opposed to any merger with any council, although polls showed Mosman had a closer relationship with North Sydney than any other council.
Cr Menzies said the Mosman and North Sydney communities already worked closely together.
“Now it seems that it’s almost certain Mosman will go with North Sydney and Willoughby, I believe Mosman Council should swallow its pride and put forward a proposal to join with North Sydney which is the natural fit for the lower north shore,” he said.
Cr Menzies said North Sydney residents would receive free parking permits for Balmoral Beach under the proposal.
Cr Abelson also condemned the State Government’s latest merger proposal, announced by Local Government Minister Paul Toole last week.
“The proposal by Minister Toole to amalgamate Mosman with North Sydney and Willoughby is completely different to the previously flagged merger options, including the original six-council mega merger grouping which also included Lane Cove, Hunters Hill and East Ryde and the proposal announced in January to merge Mosman with Manly and part Warringah,” he said.
Cr Abelson said Mosman was very strongly opposed to any merger with Willoughby, which would be “completely pointless”.
A statement from the community group Mosman Against Forced Amalgamation slammed Premier Mike Baird’s support for a proposed single northern beaches council – excluding Mosman – as “policy on the run”.
Last week Mr Baird, the Manly state MP, controversially revealed that the seemingly set-in-stone merger of Mosman, Manly and part of Warringah councils was open for discussion.
He welcomed Warringah Council’s proposal to merge the three peninsula councils into one, saying “the community will now have two proposals to consider and I look forward to their feedback.”
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