NSW Government to push ahead with Sydney council mergers but abandon amalgamations in country areas

IN A decision that will divide New South Wales, the Government has abandoned its controversial council mergers in the bush but will keep them in Sydney.

Council mergers have proved controversial in NSW.

IT’S a decision that divides New South Wales in two.

After more than a week of prevaricating, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has chosen to have a bet both ways on the state’s controversial council mergers policy.

The reforms, which many blame for decimating the Nationals’ majority in the recent Orange by-election, will be abandoned in regional areas. But the amalgamations will be full steam ahead in Sydney.

“Local government reform is particularly important in Sydney if we are to deliver on our

commitments to increase housing supply, improve planning and deliver local infrastructure and

amenity to communities. These are strong justifications for proceeding with mergers,” Ms Berejiklian said on Tuesday as she also confirmed 20 already amalgamated councils - in both metro and rural areas - would remain in place.

“While there have been a number of significant improvements in merged regional councils, we

accept that a one size fits all model does not always apply outside Sydney.

“Local councils in the bush have done their fair share to contribute to stronger local government

in NSW, and today we draw a line under local government amalgamations in the regions.”

Fourteen councils in Sydney will be now be absorbed into five super-councils pending a series of court challenges from current mayors.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will keep to the council mergers policy in Sydney only. Picture: Richard Dobson

The announcement will dismay councillors in the blue ribbon authority of Woollahra. The Liberal stronghold council in Sydney’s ritzy eastern suburbs has been fighting against the Coalition Government in Macquarie St that wants to merge it into its neighbouring authorities of Randwick and Waverley.

A string of councils on Sydney’s north shore — including Mosman and the tiny Hunters Hill — are also now likely to be absorbed into larger authorities.

But a clutch of pending mergers in the bush — including an amalgamation of Blayney Shire, Cabonne and Orange City councils as well as a link between Shellharbour and Wollongong city councils — are now off.

The council mergers, dubbed the ‘Fit for the Future’ reforms have been a headache from the get go with many recalcitrant councils unwilling — but ultimately forced — to amalgamate. The controversy was seen as one of the factors that led to previous Premier Mike Baird’s plunging popularity.

Already the revised proposals have been criticised.

On Tuesday, NSW Greens upper house MP David Shoebridge tweeted that it was akin to ‘One rule for the bush, another for the city’.

One rule for the bush, another for the city - official government policy now apparently #NSWpol

— David Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeMLC) February 13, 2017

Labor politician Darcy Byrne, who was mayor of Leichhardt before it was merged into the new Inner West council, has also been a vocal critic.

A number of mergers have already taken place including the creation of new councils in the NSW Central Coast, Sydney’s northern beaches and the City of Canterbury-Bankstown.

In regional areas, 11 new councils have been created including those on the Mid North Coast and in the Central West city of Dubbo.

It’s understood these merges will remain in place.

Last week, Coogee MP Bruce Notley-Smith — whose local council of Randwick has a merger pending — said the Government should press ahead and ignore those councils holding out.