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.

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

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.

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