As NSW’s Liberal Party scrambles to find former Premier Mike Baird’s replacement, Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced the end of forced council mergers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Barilaro said stopping 12 regional councils merging would be one of the “first orders of business” as parliament returns.
“I have spent the past eight weeks visiting and, most importantly, listening to the people of regional NSW,” he said.
Cabonne’s Amalgamation No Thank You (ANTY) campaigners have described the announcement as the “best news in a long time”.
ANTY has campaigned for two years against a forced amalgamation with Orange and Blayney.
“If all of this comes to fruition, hopefully I can have my life back,” spokeswoman Marj Bollinger said.
However, Mrs Bollinger won’t claim mission accomplished until all the legal challenges had been finalised.
“It’s not over ‘til it’s over, but it’s best indication we’ve had to date,” she said.
Orange’s mayor John Davis wasn’t popping champagne corks on Friday, preferring to wait until receiving the official word from government.
“We haven’t even got a new premier yet. It’s may be a little in haste,” Councillor Davis said.
NSW’s treasurer Gladys Berejiklian is tipped to take the position unopposed on Monday. Cr Davis believed Mr Barilaro’s announcement was the National Party flexing its muscles.
“They’ve had challenges over the past two to three years with their relevance to local people,” he said.
Cr Davis said a no-merger decision would “put a spring in the step of councillors” who would continue to plan for the future.
Those plans could include discussions about potential voluntary mergers or even boundary changes.
Local Government Minister Paul Toole said it would be difficult to remain in his current role after having already overseen the merger of council areas such as Dubbo Regional Council and Hilltops Council.
He said those new councils had already started reaping the benefits of amalgamation.
“We had put money on the table that would have gone towards vital infrastructure and services for the new councils and helped build the economies of those towns and provide additional services,” Mr Toole said.
“While we have achieved about 20 per cent of the reform we set out to do, I’m still reasonably happy with what we have achieved.”
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
