Councillors face axe as State’s amalgamation plan goes to Cabinet

THE State Government is deciding the fate of local councils today, debating in Cabinet whether to issue amalgamation proclamations immediately or to delay until after the federal election on July 2.

Local Government Minister Paul Toole is not saying when councillors will be told of their fate. Picture: Christian Gilles

THE State Government is deciding the fate of local councils today, debating in Cabinet whether to issue amalgamation proclamations immediately or to delay until after the federal election on July 2.

It is understood Premier Mike Baird will announce the majority of council mergers already foreshadowed by the government will go ahead but will remove Walcha and Kiama from the list.

A controversial proposed merger between Liberal-dominated councils the Hills and Hawkesbury will also be dumped.

The Premier will also leave off about 10 mergers which involve councils currently engaged in legal action against the government in a bid to stop the mergers, such as Woollahra and Botany, until those cases are resolved.

The government hopes a Land and Environment Court challenge from Woollahra council to amalgamate it with Randwick will fall over, with a judgment due soon, and other litigious councils will then pull out.

Councils who are merging will go to polls next March while other councils will go to election in September.

It is understood the Boundaries Commission has produced its reports to cabinet about the suitability of the mergers

The Parramatta Advertiser understands the government has four options in mind as to how the interim councils will be run once councillors and general managers are dismissed.

Councils with court cases pending or ongoing will not be affected by the decision.

The government will announce under which one of the four models councils will operate.

Western Sydney Business Chamber director David Borger says the government needs to act before the federal election.

The four options that are being tossed around are:

● retain councillors with voting rights;

● an administrator to make decisions with a committee of councillors who will advise on policy but won’t have voting rights;

● a mayor and a deputy mayor to be responsible for all decisions;

● a sole administrator to control the council.

A source said the decision was supposed to be made midyear but the government decided to fast-track the decision to minimise the negative impact on the federal election campaign.

“They want to get it out of the way as soon as they can so they (Liberals) have a bit of time to recover before election,” the source said.

General managers and chief executive officers reapplied for their roles as did councillors, who were asked to put in expressions of interest for interim councils.

Western Sydney Business Chamber director David Borger said the government had to promptly make a decision on the merger proposals.

“They have to get it over and done with because of the federal election,” he said.

Parramatta Lord Mayor Paul Garrard referred to Monday’s council meeting as “the last supper” and thanked council staff, councillors and members of the public gallery.

Cr Garrard also said at Monday night’s meeting he believed a decision would be handed down Thursday.

A spokesman for Local Government Minister Paul Toole said the Boundaries Commission was continuing to meet to discuss council merger proposals.

The spokesman would not confirm if the mergers would be announced tomorrow, and instead said “the reports of delegates, which include extensive input from public submissions and the comments of the Boundaries Commission will inform the decisions of government. These are expected to be announced midyear.”

Under the government’s plan announced in December, in Sydney, plans include the merger of parts of Auburn and Holroyd Councils into Parramatta City Council, the merger of Bankstown and Canterbury; Botany Bay with Rockdale, Hornsby and Kuring-gai and Hunters Hill, Lane Cover and Ryde.

There is also the proposed merger of Hurstville and Kogarah Councils; Manly Pittwater and Warringah and Mosman; North Sydney and Willoughby, and Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville.

And a merger of Burwood, City of Canada Bay and Strathfield as well as Hawkesbury and the Hills have been mooted.

Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra is also on the drawing board and the City of Sydney will remain untouched, although there is a push on from Botany to acquire some of the City of Sydney’s land.

In the bush, there are proposals to merge Armidale, Dumaresq and Guyra shire councils; Bathurst and Oberon council, Berrigan Shire and Jerilderie Shire, Blayney Shire, Cabonne and Orange City councils.

The plan was to reduce 152 councils in NSW down to 113 and reduce Sydney councils from 43 to 25.

That number will now become 115.