LABOR candidate for Northern Tablelands, Herman Beyersdorf, has challenged Nationals candidate, Adam Marshall, to support his call for ‘no forced amalgamations’ for shire councils in this state.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He has also called on the O'Farrell Stoner Government not to use the recently released report of the Independent Review Panel as an excuse to break their election promise of no forced amalgamations.
The review panel report, released last week, recommended the amalgamation of Walcha, Uralla and Guyra councils with Armidale that would then be a member of the New England Tablelands County Council along with Inverell, Glen Innes and Tenterfield Shire councils.
"In my view voluntary amalgamations may be appropriate in some circumstances, provided that there is full community consultation,” Mr Beyersdorf said.
“Armidale and Dumaresq Council voluntary amalgamation in 2000 was a good example of co-operation leading to a merger.
“This process did however take some time, and it required councils and the community to be satisfied with the result.
"One reasonable option that should be looked at as an alternative to amalgamation is the County Council model advocated in the report.
“This would allow smaller councils to keep their autonomy, while providing a coherent legislative framework for the provision of shared services.”
Nationals candidate for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall hit back saying the policy of no forced council amalgamations is something that he, and the state government, definitely support.
“That’s the policy position of the government and given my background as a mayor and vice-president of the Local Government Association and chair of Country Mayors, that’s certainly my position,” Mr Marshall said.
“I’m a big supporter of local government.
“If a local council is financially sound, if it has the support of its community it is able to deliver on the needs of its community, then state government should have no role in changing its boundaries or forcing its amalgamation.
“I would certainly encourage, as I did when I was in local government, that council should always be looking for ways to be more efficient.
“The one size fits all approach has been proven in the past to be a failure and whilst there may be an argument in the metropolitan areas that it works, I think country areas are very different.”