Canterbury-Bankstown Council demerger: Mayor Khal Asfour says NSW government should pay

The de-amalgamation movement in Canterbury-Bankstown is picking up speed with calls for the NSW Government to pick up the bill if it proceeds.

The de-amalgamation movement in Canterbury-Bankstown Council is picking up speed after a unanimous motion was passed to prepare a business case to put before the state government.

Canterbury and Bankstown councils merged in 2016 following a NSW Government review, however councillors are now agitating to return each council back to its original form.

Momentum behind the potential demerger has been triggered by the election of independent councillor Barbara Coorey in December, who ran on a de-amalgamation platform.

Cr Coorey, who won the seat from a Greens councillor, said the community has been pushing for the demerger.

“(Councillors) were sitting on a motion that was passed in about July last year and nothing had happened. I don’t think they were really interested,” she said.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“They got a jolt when I was elected and underestimated the level of passion and anger regarding the merger from the residents.”

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said his position, of support for a demerger, hasn’t changed from day one.

“The amalgamations were forced on us by the NSW government for political purposes,” he said.

“Council resolved at its last meeting to go ahead with de-amalgamation and would be presenting a business case to the Minister. But it is on the proviso the NSW Government meets all upfront and ongoing costs associated with any demerger.

“Rate payers should not have to pay one cent to undo something which was forced upon them.”

Two Canterbury ward councillors Karl Saleh, and Barbara Coorey attended the Keep Councils Local rally on Tuesday, speaking with other community representatives and local government officials arguing for de-amalgamation.

Khodr 'Karl' Saleh, former deputy mayor of Canterbury, and current councillor.

Organised by the Demerge NSW Alliance and Residents for Deamalgamation, the rally was also attended by Shadow Local Government Minister Greg Warren.

“A Labor government will not forcibly merge or demerge any council in NSW. We will allow referendums so communities can have their say,” Mr Warren said.

“If those communities decided, through referendum, to merge or demerge, so be it.”

While council was previously split on how to move forward, the Labor, Liberal, and independent councillors are now in agreement, voting for council staff to prepare a business case to be put forward to the NSW Government on de-amalgamation.

Canterbury ward councillor Karl Saleh has been in local government for two decades, and prior to the merger his ward included 18,000 to 20,000 residents.

Now he’s expected to represent 38,000.

“You can imagine the pressure we’ve got, and the responsibility we have,” Cr Saleh said.

“We lose our locality, our neighbourhood.”

Cr Coorey is calling for a NSW Upper House inquiry into the effectiveness of the local government mergers, furious about the original justification the mergers would save money, and keep rates down.

“There’s been no review from this government on the poor decision to merge councils,” Cr Coorey said. The Minister knows it, and the Premier knows it, the review will show that it’s been a complete botch.”

Cr Coorey wanted a plebiscite agreed on with a date set — the point of conflict in an earlier motion to de-amalgamate — but said she was happy other councillors were now on board.

“It’s become a mega-council where democracy is very much lacking,” she said.

“When you have such a large number of people, the issues get lost in the system.”