On 18 November, hundreds of people took to Sydney’s Martin Place to rally against the New South Wales Government’s proposed council amalgamations.
The rally coincided with the day that final ‘Fit for the Future’ proposals were due to be submitted by councils to the State government.
In October, the Independent Pricing And Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) declared many NSW councils ‘not fit’, despite the fact that 92 percent of metropolitan and 76 percent of rural and regional councils met the criteria for financial sustainability. Councils were given 30 days to submit a proposal on their preference for amalgamation. Since then, many councils have negotiated with neighbours and submitted proposals for voluntary mergers.
Members of the Joint Regional Authority (JRA) of councils – The City of Ryde, Hunter’s Hill Council and Lane Cove Council – said the rally was a necessary display of strength by councils that do not wish to merge.
Mayor of the City of Ryde, Councillor Jerome Laxale, said, “The City of Ryde is standing firm against the ‘Bully-Boy’ tactics of the NSW Premier Mike Baird on this issue, we will not succumb to the demands that are being forced upon us against the will of our community.”
Hunter’s Hill Council Mayor, Councillor Richard Quinn, reiterated, “The Hunter’s Hill community has soundly rejected amalgamation and, with strong community support, has committed to pursuing the JRA regional partnership with Ryde and Lane Cove to achieve strategic capacity and efficiencies of scale. It’s now time for the Premier and the Minister to listen to the people and accept the JRA reform model.”
Local Government New South Wales (LGNSW) President, Councillor Keith Rhoades, spoke at the Martin Place rally and said afterwards, “It was terrific to see that many were carrying banners and wearing badges created from LGNSW’s Our Council, Our Voice, Our Choice campaign – we need to do everything we can to make sure that the voices of NSW communities are heard. Less than one in five Sydneysiders, for instance, supports forced amalgamations.
“It is unclear what the Government’s next step will be, and what path they will pursue to achieve their aim. A number of councils have sought legal advice, as is right and proper.”
Cr Rhoades said although LGNSW has always vigorously opposed forced amalgamations, it also supports those councils that choose to merge.
LGNSW has also partnered with Government to engage the UTS Centre for Local Government (UTS:CLG) to develop an amalgamation toolkit to help councils manage the transition process. It will include advice on governance, financial and organisational issues.
