Image: Michael Verhoef
The rise of New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to the leadership might be the gift the local government sector always wanted if reports are true that her government will cease forced council amalgamations.
The forced mergers imposed by the former Baird government last year were the straw that broke the camel’s back for the local government sector, which was for years fretting that the state government would force councils to engage in costly amalgamation processes, which would reformat the boundaries in Sydney’s innerwest and other parts of the state.
But now there are unconfirmed reports that have been picked up by Local Government NSW (LGNSW), which say the new Berejiklian government has been preparing to announce that councils for which forced mergers were still pending would be allowed to stand alone.
Not only that, according to the reports, ratepayers of already merged councils would be given an opportunity to vote on whether they wanted to de-amalgamate.
LGNSW President Keith Rhoades said the reports, if confirmed by Cabinet, would be very welcome news for the local government sector and local communities.
“LGNSW has spent a lot of today in meetings with Deputy Premier John Barilaro and the newly installed Local Government Minister Gabrielle Upton,” Mr Rhoades said.
“It would be inappropriate to reveal the content of those discussions, but I can certainly say they were both constructive and productive,” he said.
“I have said all along that I was confident the Berejiklian/Bailaro Government and the new Local Government Minister would listen to the people, and these reports appear to confirm that confidence.”
Mr Rhoades said the next important thing was the timing of the plebiscites for already merged councils.
“I would urge the government to undertake these plebiscites this coming September when the residents and ratepayers of amalgamated councils go to the polls in local government elections,” Mr Rhoades said.
“And indeed to send all councils who missed out on elections last year to the polls at the same time.”
“It saves ratepayers money and it ensures that local democracy will truly be returned as quickly as possible.”
What’s notable about these circumstances is that if the reports are accurate, it’s a complete reversal of the Coalition’s forced amalgamation policy as discussed under the O’Farrell government, and eventually executed by the Baird government.
It contrasts with the amalgamations imposed by the Queensland Labor government in 2008 in the Shires of Noosa, Livingstone, Mareeba and Douglas. These quickly triggered a public backlash as services declined while costs and rates ballooned.
However these mergers were eventually reversed by the Liberal National Party under Campbell Newman when ratepayers voted to de-amalgamate following a March 2013 referendum.
At the time, the NSW government was making claims that it would not force amalgamations on local governments.
