The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore has branded the methodology for assessing whether councils are "fit for the future" as unfair, saying it is largely based on an unsubstantiated assumption that 'bigger is better' as councils weigh whether to tough it out with the NSW government and resist amalgamations.
In a written submission to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, Cr Moore points out her council is the only one in Sydney that was rated by T-Corp as financially strong with a positive outlook.
She also warns that plans for large scale amalgamations would lead to massive disruption in council operations. "The City was forcibly amalgamated by the State Government in 2004. As detailed in our submissions to the ILGRP, the process was enormously disruptive and it took significant time and resources to align policies and systems. As we have restated in several submissions on the State Governments reform process, priority needs to be given to the issues of financial capacity, collaboration and coordination, and governance."
Cr Moore concludes that the process proposed by IPART is "not transparent, accountable or equitable" because Councils will not know how they have been rated and will have no right of reply."
Meanwhile, Woollahra Council announced on Tuesday that residents had delivered their verdict on the subject of amalgamation, expressing a clear preference that the council remains stand-alone.
Under the government's preferred plan, Woollahra is slated to merge into a massive "global city council" comprised of Randwick, Waverley, Botany City of Sydney and Woollahra. The mayors of Randwick and Waverley, both Liberals have indicated an intention to merge and have been eyeing Woollahra which is financially stronger.
An independent telephone survey commissioned by the council found an overwhelming 91 per cent of respondents expressed that "local identity" and "local representation" was important to them, and 81 per cent said they support Woollahra Council standing alone. In addition, 80 per cent said that they supported Council's opposition to forced amalgamation.
"Our residents have told us very clearly that they want us to fight to retain Woollahra's independence and to resist any move towards the forced amalgamation of our council and that is what we will do," said Woollahra Mayor, Councillor Toni Zeltzer.
"If Woollahra is forced to amalgamate our residents can expect to pay from $70 million to $170 million in additional rates over the next decade, with these increases reflected directly by equally large rate decreases in Randwick.
In the inner west there have been further talks among the predominantly Labor led councils about possible mergers. One scenario would see Burwood, Strathfield, Auburn and Canada Bay combine. This is not the preferred option suggested in the Sansom report – it recommended that Auburn combine with Parramatta – but the preferred option of combining the small middle west councils with Leichhard, Marrickville and Ashfield, is meeting resistance.
Meanwhile the opposition to amalgamation is strong on the Northern Beaches.
Planning minister Rob Stokes was expected to face a community meeting on Tuesday in Pittwater, which overlaps with his seat. Pittwater is expected to reject the government's preferred merger proposal of Pittwater Manly and Warringah and instead opt for staying solo, or perhaps expanding to take the northern half of Warringah.
