Hi all. I see on the news that the NSW State govt are intending to merge a large number of councils.
Is there much opposition and chest beating going on yet about it?
Here in WA, the State govt tried the same thing and got so much opposition, mainly from the councils who stood to loose from the mergers with their well rate payer funded campaigns, that they only managed to get a couple to give up part of their "turf" (and rate monies) last year and it seems the govt has just decided to drop the whole idea.
Pity, as especially in the wealthy western Perth suburbs we have councils with only a 1000 or so rateable properties. But if you live in a council area called Peppermint Grove (home of the super wealthy), I guess its part of the status symbol for them
dorian said
06:10 PM May 15, 2016
The local bureaurats sent out letters to their ratepayers urging them to protest against the proposed changes. About a year or so ago the mayor wanted us to fork out $50m so that she could warm her backside in a new council building. We told her where to stick her idea. Now Baird has given her a big reality check by telling us that we're too small to exist on our own. Instead we will be amalgamating with a neighbouring council (pending the result of a court judgment). Years before, both councils were deemed corrupt and/or incompetent and were placed under administration.
Personally, I'll be glad to see the end of these parasites. Anything that reduces their number has to be a good move. That said, I would hope that retrenchments would be thoughtfully implemented. I would hate to see one person burdened with two or more sister city junkets.
blissonwheels said
07:37 PM May 15, 2016
Gooday,
Well, The Bligh Government did it here in Queensland about 4-5 years ago, complete Disaster, they have rewound some of them back to their original, Like Noosa and a few others there were a lot who wanted to return to their original boundaries but only a handful were given permission.
Absolute mess in my opinion.
Philw said
07:36 PM May 16, 2016
We are in the caloundra shire. We were given a plebiscite where we chose, by a large majority, to not amalgamate. The ignorant arrogant sods in government ignored the wishes of their constituents and went ahead anyway. So we voted them out and got another arrogant government. But we are stuck with the now, Sunshine Coast Regional Council. Caloundra merged with Maroochydore. Most decisions are favoured to the residents of the old Maroochy Shire. We pay for parking, no one else does, our rubbish bins are smaller and to get a larger one it costs extra. And our services are reduced in a lot of other ways.
So no wonder so many people are fed up with politicans and their political parties that serve the needs of party politics and not the people who they are supposed to serve. Ambition rather than a wish to serve their community. Grrrrr.
cheers
phil
hako said
08:10 PM May 16, 2016
Here in Toowoomba they amalgamated 8 councils in the area into one, naturally situated in Toowoomba city. The other 7 councils lost out - mayor and councillors all got a hefty pay rise and more trips 'away'. If you live in Toowoomba you benefit but in the other 7 council areas 'tough luck'. It's not progress...it's regression.
Good Luck.
LLD said
04:20 PM May 17, 2016
Councils & Water Authorities got a lot of amalgamations in Vic under both Labor & Liberals many, many years ago. They appeared to have worked. Weeded out a lot of dead wood and got some efficiencies. Got rid of a lot of "Lords of the Manor" who thought their family supplied the Shire President for life and were totally out of touch with modern reality.
The Toowoomba situation happened in Ballarat but most of the outer suburbs / towns benefitted greatly.
We have too many levels of Govt. Do we get rid of State Govts and make Local Councils bigger? Do we sack all councils and make them Departments of the State Govt and get rid of local councillors? I don't feel I'm voting for a local councillor anymore. Most of them are endorsed by a political party and appear to vote along party lines and cannot distinguish between local, state and federal issues.
LLD said
10:44 AM May 18, 2016
This is the sort of stuff that local councils should not be involved in.
A councillor in Ballarat tried to move a similar motion and the public backlash was rather large. Local councils should be involved in managing our rates on our infrastructure, not wasting time on items that should be handled at a National level. Local councillors are elected by local people to manage our local rates.
Whoops. Just fell off my soapbox.
Wombat 280 said
01:24 PM May 20, 2016
Mate I live at Wauchope and some years back Port Macquaire Council took over Wauchope Council and the Wauchope arm became the poor second cousin. they have had about 5 restructures in 15 years which is really only another front for lets get rid of some services and staff Nothing happens on the Wauchope side f the Pacific Highway The entire council has down tooled that far that they may as well turn up with a kids toy cart and a sand spade when they do any road works . Notable is the increase in chair borne division. Rate increase every year are the norm let alone nothing happens unless they get 80 % grant from govt sources .
Our advice to anyone considering amalgamation is Think twice before you jump in especially if your the one getting sucked up and twice before you suck one up No one works for you better than your own
I still reckon we are over governed and amalgamating councils by having less self imposed and individualised agendas, well I,m for it.
Just need next to start on State and Federal over staffed and over paid bludgers.
Sheffield-er said
10:44 PM May 20, 2016
Some years ago the Vic. govt. forced Mansfield and Benalla to amalgamate. Sold off lots of plant and equipment. Whenever it was wanted in one place it was at the other. In the end they allowed a reversal of the amalgamation. Council and ratepayers much, much worse off for the exercise !!! Must be a requirement for govt. job applicants to have no common sense.
Hi all. I see on the news that the NSW State govt are intending to merge a large number of councils.
Is there much opposition and chest beating going on yet about it?
Here in WA, the State govt tried the same thing and got so much opposition, mainly from the councils who stood to loose from the mergers with their well rate payer funded campaigns, that they only managed to get a couple to give up part of their "turf" (and rate monies) last year and it seems the govt has just decided to drop the whole idea.
Pity, as especially in the wealthy western Perth suburbs we have councils with only a 1000 or so rateable properties. But if you live in a council area called Peppermint Grove (home of the super wealthy), I guess its part of the status symbol for them
Personally, I'll be glad to see the end of these parasites. Anything that reduces their number has to be a good move. That said, I would hope that retrenchments would be thoughtfully implemented. I would hate to see one person burdened with two or more sister city junkets.
Gooday,
Well, The Bligh Government did it here in Queensland about 4-5 years ago, complete Disaster, they have rewound some of them back to their original, Like Noosa and a few others there were a lot who wanted to return to their original boundaries but only a handful were given permission.
Absolute mess in my opinion.
So no wonder so many people are fed up with politicans and their political parties that serve the needs of party politics and not the people who they are supposed to serve. Ambition rather than a wish to serve their community. Grrrrr.
cheers
phil
Good Luck.
The Toowoomba situation happened in Ballarat but most of the outer suburbs / towns benefitted greatly.
We have too many levels of Govt. Do we get rid of State Govts and make Local Councils bigger? Do we sack all councils and make them Departments of the State Govt and get rid of local councillors? I don't feel I'm voting for a local councillor anymore. Most of them are endorsed by a political party and appear to vote along party lines and cannot distinguish between local, state and federal issues.
www.9news.com.au/national/2016/05/18/06/40/qld-s-largest-council-backs-gay-marriage
A councillor in Ballarat tried to move a similar motion and the public backlash was rather large. Local councils should be involved in managing our rates on our infrastructure, not wasting time on items that should be handled at a National level. Local councillors are elected by local people to manage our local rates.
Whoops. Just fell off my soapbox.
Mate I live at Wauchope and some years back Port Macquaire Council took over Wauchope Council and the Wauchope arm became the poor second cousin. they have had about 5 restructures in 15 years which is really only another front for lets get rid of some services and staff Nothing happens on the Wauchope side f the Pacific Highway The entire council has down tooled that far that they may as well turn up with a kids toy cart and a sand spade when they do any road works . Notable is the increase in chair borne division. Rate increase every year are the norm let alone nothing happens unless they get 80 % grant from govt sources .
Our advice to anyone considering amalgamation is Think twice before you jump in especially if your the one getting sucked up and twice before you suck one up No one works for you better than your own
Just need next to start on State and Federal over staffed and over paid bludgers.
Some years ago the Vic. govt. forced Mansfield and Benalla to amalgamate. Sold off lots of plant and equipment. Whenever it was wanted in one place it was at the other. In the end they allowed a reversal of the amalgamation. Council and ratepayers much, much worse off for the exercise !!! Must be a requirement for govt. job applicants to have no common sense.
.... Val