Sorell deputy mayor Charles Wooley says amalgamation should be on the agenda

As two regions prepare to once again vote for new mayors, the deputy of one says now is the time to talk amalgamation.

Charles Wooley is a columnist for the Mercury.

The deputy of a Southern Tasmanian council says amalgamation should once again be on the agenda, as those in his municipality prepare to vote on who will be mayor.

After the election of Kerry Vincent and Bec Thomas to the Legislative Council this month, vacancies for the top job of mayor have been left vacant for the Sorell and Glenorchy councils.

New member for Prosser, Kerry Vincent at Sorell. Picture: Chris Kidd

Deputy mayor of Sorell, Charles Wooley says he’s still mulling over whether he’ll nominate to lead his council.

He said he had some hesitation.

“The main problem is Kerry treated it as a full time job, he was ideal,” Mr Wooley said.

“It really requires someone running a successful business in the area who doesn’t need to make a living.

“Being a mayor can’t be a part time job but it has a part time pay. In the smaller councils, it’s not a living wage, they need to do something for a living.”

Mr Wooley, who is also a columnist for The Mercury, said it raised the question of whether smaller councils should be merged.

He said the number of council staff was adequate for operations, but that there were too many councillors.

“There are 300 councillors, 29 mayors, 29 deputy mayors,” Mr Wooley said.

“If there were five or six councils, you could give them more autonomy.”

A review into Tasmania’s local government sector was completed in October last year and the final report was open for comment until February this year.

Since then, there’s been little discussion around the report and around proposed boundary adjustments.

Before its completion, then Local Government Minister Nic Street assured councils there would be no forced mergers.

“It has to be forced it won’t work voluntary,’ Mr Wooley said.

“Once people get their knees under the desk they like it, that’s why it’s going to be so hard.”

Mr Wooley said he’d be open to his own council being merged.

“My territorial ambitions, were I mayor of Sorell, would be a good slice of Glamorgan Spring Bay and the Tasman,” he said.

“Kerry and I were people prepared to put our jobs on the line and give it up.”