At Wednesday's council meeting, Cr Johnston said the draft Fit for the Future roadmap by Glen Innes Severn Council, that requested a boundary adjustment that would see it take responsibility for areas of Swan Vale and Kings Plain currently in Inverell Shire Council, should be handled sensitively.

Proposed boundary adjustments to strengthen the viability of Glen Innes shire would increase the council’s net revenue (rate revenue less expenditure of roads) by $147,000. The total net revenue benefit to Glen Innes council would be $78,000.

“This is a topic that has been around for quite a while, and there’s a suggestion there that somebody else can provide better services to an area that we are providing services to,” Cr Johnston said.

“That could be taken pretty offensively if we liked to look at the detail.”

Cr Johnston moved that a workshop be held by council to discuss the issue and that a response be prepared.

Cr Jones said he thought discussions with Glen Innes shire would not necessarily be helpful and only put up a barrier between the two local government areas. He said latest events in state parliament tended to indicate that council amalgamations would be back on the agenda.

A foreshadowed amendment by Cr Mal Peters that Inverell Shire Council commence negotiations for amalgamations with Glen Innes and Tenterfield shire councils was defeated.

“It seems to me that if you come back here in 10 years that’s what will happen,” Cr Peters said.

“The realities are that council amalgamations will continue. My great fear is that there will be a super council, which will be based in Armidale. 

“I reckon if you’ve got enough scale in an Inverell, Glen Inness Tenterfield council, you might have a chance of fighting it. 

Cr Harmon said Glen Innes had highlighted areas of interest in the same way he had highlighted areas to neighbouring shires, but government had said it does not want boundaries looked at this time.

“It’s either all in or all out,’ Cr Harmon said.

“We’ve advocated that if there is going to be a Fit For the Future amalgamations, then there should be serious discussions regionally about boundary adjustments, and that means a bit of give and take.”

“We need to establish a good working relationships with our neighbouring councils so we can actually work together as a whole region.”