THE state government has updated the figures it used to build the Orange-Blayney-Cabonne council merger proposal, but with Orange’s revenue out by a reported $55 million, amalgamation sceptics say the figures are still far from credible and a merged entity would not reach its income targets. A spokesman for Local Government Minister Paul Toole said operating revenue figures for the three councils were adjusted because consultants KPMG had used 2014-15 data when the rest of the figures were from the 2013-14 financial year. Blayney Shire Council’s revenue fell from $14 million to $13.5 million and Cabonne Council’s $35.5 million became $33.6 million, but Orange’s differed the most, changing from $116.7 million to $72.1 million. Mr Toole’s spokesman said the changes had not affected the merger proposal’s validity and they had come from the councils. However, the earnings are further from analysis completed by the NSW Greens, based on the councils’ annual reports. According to the party’s data, Blayney actually earned $15.2 million in 2013-14, Cabonne earned $39.6 million and Orange’s revenue stood at $127.4 million, $55.1 million more than KPMG’s figure. Greens local government spokesman David Shoebridge believed the consultant had not included income from government grants and with rate increases locked in at 1.8 per cent for the next four years, the combined entity had no chance of reaching the $170 million annual income KPMG said it would reach by 2019-20. “The new numbers of operating revenue don’t come close to making sense,” he said. “Even assuming, and it would be a heroic assumption, that the government’s figures are right, what they show is year-on-year revenue growth from the merged council running at almost triple the inflation rate.” Amalgamation No Thank You chair Jock Haynes said the state government still had some of the other data wrong. “Cabonne’s asset base is listed as $255.6 million when it should be $513 million. They had the opportunity to correct them and get them right, but they’ve still made a mess,” he said. danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au
STILL WRONG: Amalgamation No Thank You chair Jock Haynes says revisions for the merger proposal for Orange, Cabonne and Blayney councils still contain errors.
Photo: PHIL BLATCH 1223pbmolong21
THE state government has updated the figures it used to build the Orange-Blayney-Cabonne council merger proposal, but with Orange’s revenue out by a reported $55 million, amalgamation sceptics say the figures are still far from credible and a merged entity would not reach its income targets.
A spokesman for Local Government Minister Paul Toole said operating revenue figures for the three councils were adjusted because consultants KPMG had used 2014-15 data when the rest of the figures were from the 2013-14 financial year.
Blayney Shire Council’s revenue fell from $14 million to $13.5 million and Cabonne Council’s $35.5 million became $33.6 million, but Orange’s differed the most, changing from $116.7 million to $72.1 million.
Mr Toole’s spokesman said the changes had not affected the merger proposal’s validity and they had come from the councils.
However, the earnings are further from analysis completed by the NSW Greens, based on the councils’ annual reports.
According to the party’s data, Blayney actually earned $15.2 million in 2013-14, Cabonne earned $39.6 million and Orange’s revenue stood at $127.4 million, $55.1 million more than KPMG’s figure.
Greens local government spokesman David Shoebridge believed the consultant had not included income from government grants and with rate increases locked in at 1.8 per cent for the next four years, the combined entity had no chance of reaching the $170 million annual income KPMG said it would reach by 2019-20.
“The new numbers of operating revenue don’t come close to making sense,” he said.
“Even assuming, and it would be a heroic assumption, that the government’s figures are right, what they show is year-on-year revenue growth from the merged council running at almost triple the inflation rate.”
Amalgamation No Thank You chair Jock Haynes said the state government still had some of the other data wrong.
“Cabonne’s asset base is listed as $255.6 million when it should be $513 million. They had the opportunity to correct them and get them right, but they’ve still made a mess,” he said.
