Mayor of The Hills Shire, Clr Andrew Jefferies, has congratulated NSW Premier Mike Baird on showing strong leadership in the bid to reform Local Government, following his announcement to offer Councils financial and governance incentives to merge.
Mayor Jefferies said the incentive recognises that Local Government is an industry well beyond its time for reform and applauded the Government’s efforts to assist.
“This is an excellent initiative for Councils to start creating a better future for Local Government.
“It is disappointing, however, that as an industry many Councils have not been prepared to accept the need for change.
“And it’s even more disappointing that the industry’s peak body, Local Government NSW (LGNSW), has actively resisted the need for significant reform that must include amalgamations and fewer Councils.
“As Mayor of The Hills Shire, I call on Local Government NSW to start showing leadership on this matter.”
Mayor Jefferies also said that while the Premier’s announcement is welcome, it is unfortunate that NSW taxpayers will now be required to fund a reform agenda that could have been delivered by the peak body years ago.
“The President of Local Government NSW, Keith Rhoades AFSM, must seize this announcement as an opportunity to become proactive – ensuring the peak body moves away from its current head-in-the-sand approach to steer Councils towards a sustainable and financially viable future through reform.”
