Mosman councillors vow to continue the fight against forced amalgamation

MOSMAN councillors have vowed to continue to fight against the forced amalgamation of the municipality.

Major Cr Peter Abelson - Mosman Municipal Council meeting with new council members. The council also invites residents to sit at the council table.

• Premier calls on residents to have say on merger process
• Mosman to be merged with Manly and part of Warringah
• Mosman residents not keen on joining Manly

DEFIANT Mosman councillors are refusing to give up the fight against amalgamation.

Incensed by claims made by Premier Mike Baird that Mosman preferred to be merged with Manly over North Sydney, councillors moved on Monday night to “formally reject forced amalgamation”, including the Greater Manly council proposal.

Mayor Peter Abelson said Mr Baird’s statement was “simply not true”.

“Prior to the Government announcing the proposed merger, I advised our local member Jillian Skinner … that Mosman Council is very strongly ­opposed to a merger with two or more councils,” Cr Abelson said.

Comments made by Premier Mike Baird on amalgamation have infuriated Mosman councillors. Picture: Troy Snook

“(I also said) that if Mosman had a simple choice between a merger with Manly and North Sydney, polling suggests more local support for a merger with North Sydney and I indicated that this would be a more natural and seamless partnership.

“Mosman has never been presented with the merger choice, or made the choice, that the Premier states.”

Councillors also called for the “immediate release of the full KPMG report that has been used as the economic rationale for the current proposal” and for the State Government to “initiate polls” on the issue of amalgamation.

Banners — up to a value of $15,000 — promoting the council’s merger stance will also be erected in “high traffic locations” even after other anti-amalgamation banners were pulled down following concerns on how they were worded.

“This Manly proposal is the worst thing that can happen to us,” councillor Roy Bendall said.

A map of the proposed Greater Manly council.

MERGER FIGHT

■ The Mosman Against Forced Amalgamation group will hold a public meeting on Monday at 6pm at the Mosman RS Club

■ Speakers on the night will include the Mosman Mayor, Peter Abelson

■ Residents have until 5pm on February 28 to comment on the proposed Greater Manly council

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