Since being set up last year, the Local Government Advisory Board has had a number of separate boundary matters referred to it by the Minister. These have included the future of the Cities of Sterling and Wanneroo with regard to reducing their respective sizes, and a number of ‘doughnut situations’, concerning the possible merger of a regional town or centre with one or more neighbouring rural Shires.
Comprising Council and Department of Local Government representatives, the Board was established to oversee constitutional changes within Local Government, following changes to the Local Government Act that took effect in mid 1996.
“The Board’s attitude is not simply amalgamations rather boundary reviews,” said Councillor Rob Rowell, Chairman of the Advisory Board. “We approach a region as a blank map, and ask the question how could you best administer Local Government in this region? We look at the issues and services, areas of duplication and how things could be improved.”
The Board will shortly release its report in regard to an amalgamation proposal presented to it by the Town and Shire of Albany. Reports covering Stirling, Wanneroo and the Bunbury region are also expected to be released by the end of this month. Reviews of the Geraldton, Northam, Mandurah and Narrogin areas will commence in the near future.
The merger of the Town and Shire of Albany is set to be the first amalgamation under this current review process. The two Councils opted to take this initiative rather than wait for the Board to decide their fate. They have agreed to a transition process which aims to have Councillors elected in May next year, with the new Council being incorporated on 1 July 1998.
With broad based support and both Councils in agreement, it is expected that Ministerial approval and the potential for a referendum on the issue should not stand in the way of this merger. According to Councillor Ken Pech, President of the Western Australian Municipal Association, the review process has turned up some problems with the new Local Government Act.
“The amalgamation process is not clear,” he said. “The Act needs to be amended to allow for more flexibility and an outcome more satisfactory to the Councils involved.”
He said that in the case of mutual agreement by Councils for a merger there is no need for outside Commissioners, rather elected Councillors should have the option of overseeing the transition process, as was successfully done with the formation of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and the more recent amalgamations in South Australia.
