Image: Leorex.
A reported plan by the New South Wales Mike Baird government to sack all councils across the state and replace them with administrators before amalgamating them into super councils has been met with horror by the local government sector.
These reports indicate that Minister for Local Government Paul Toole has proposed to sack all elected mayors and councillors across the state and force the creation of ‘mega councils’, some with populations the size of Tasmania, and smaller rural councils would be replaced with community boards.
It follows an ongoing battle between NSW councils and the Coalition government over its agenda to reformat local government across the state, but with evidence pointing to the fact that only one fifth of Sydney-siders support mergers and that amalgamations are likely to drive up rates.
The threat of amalgamations in NSW has been met with fierce opposition from councils, including the City of Sydney and the sector’s peak body Local Government NSW (LGNSW), as well as Sydney Member of Parliament Alex Greenwich.
Mr Greenwich said that what was originally reported in The Sunday Telegraph is the “biggest threat” the city faces.
“The Baird government is focussed on attacking the stable, corruption free, and democratically elected City of Sydney council,” Mr Greenwich said.
He said all the work Sydney does to tackle climate change, support vulnerable communities, and grow the local economy would be put at risk, as would people’s representation at the most local level of government.
But the biggest hitback came from LGNSW, whose President Keith Rhoades slammed the reports, calling the state government’s behaviour an “outrageous breach of faith” which would make a “complete mockery” of council reform processes.
Mr Rhoades said if the reports are true, it would vindicate the worst fears of NSW councils and communities by conforming the government’s “plot to crush local democracy”.
He mentioned that he and LGNSW Chief Executive Donna Rygate met with Mr Baird, trying to get information on the government’s plans, process and timing, yet there was no mention of an “alleged hidden agenda splashed across the media today – none”.
Mr Rhoades’ frustration also stems from the fact that councils across the state participated in the state government’s seemingly benign reform process in “good faith”, by investing “enormous” amounts of time, effort and money to consult their communities, analyse council finances, develop improvement plans and prepare submissions to IPART.
But Mr Rhoades speculated that from today’s media reports, the whole Fit for the Future process, “with its ratios, submissions and forums, could be just camouflage for a developer-driven political agenda”.
“It would be breach of faith, a betrayal of process and a slap in the face to all councils – including those who have chosen to voluntarily amalgamate,” Mr Rhoades said.
“The arrogance and duplicity of this would be breathtaking.”
Developer peak body Urban Taskforce Australia has also chimed in from a different angle, suggesting that council reform in metropolitan Sydney can be achieved through forming 14 “joint regional authorities” rather than sacking every council.
Urban Taskforce chief executive officer Chris Johnson said the government’s reported plan to sack all councils in order to restructure will create “major division between communities”.
