Port Pirie City & District Council and the District Council of Grant came into being on 1 July. Following the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and the District Council of Kapunda and Light, they are the next Councils to voluntarily amalgamate under South Australia’s Local Government structural reform program.
The State Government has indicated that it would like to see the State’s 116 Councils reduced by half before the next Local Government elections scheduled for next May.
Local Government Boundary Reform Board Chairperson, Annette Eiffe, said that the majority of remaining Councils are progressing well towards voluntary amalgamations. Comprising the former City of Port Pirie and District Council of Pirie, the new Port Pirie City & District Council, with a population of 16,100, expects to achieve savings in the order of $100,000 per annum from the merger.
The new District Council of Grant has resulted from the amalgamation of the District Councils of Mount Gambier and Port Macdonnell. Representing a population of 7,688, it is expecting to achieve savings of $1.5 million over the next four years. Sitting Councillors from the merging Councils retain their positions on their Council until the next poll.
