Destination amalgamation? Council says no

There is renewed interest in the possibility of amalgamating Sydney councils as submissions close on the state government’s draft action plan for local government.

‘Destination 2036’ is a planning document being designed in consultation with the Local Government and Shires Associations (LGSA), Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) and the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG).

The Draft Action Plan will be reviewed by the Minister for Local Government, Don Page, in March.

In its feedback on the draft, Leichhardt Council disagreed with nine out of 10 suggested actions for reforming council structure. These included pilot programs to test new structures of local government, reducing the regulatory responsibilities of councils and encouraging voluntary amalgamation.

Council asked: “Apart from buying into the agenda of the Sydney Business Chamber to reduce the number of Councils in Sydney, what exactly is the purpose of this action?”
It also opposed any change to the Local Government Act and said a proposal to realign council boundaries was amalgamation by stealth.

The views of the NSW Business Chamber have been instrumental in bringing about a push toward amalgamation. The chamber lists the creation of 10 Sydney super councils as one of its ‘10 big ideas to grow NSW’, and its director, Patricia Forsythe, said community support is building in momentum.

Ten councils, as economic hubs with clearer ideas of planning, full-time mayors and well-paid general managers, would perfectly service Sydney, she said.

Independent Leichhardt councillor John Stamolis said the business chamber had a “flat-earth” view which assumes local government areas are all the same.

“There are no facts, figures, thoughts for why this [amalgamation] should be the case,” he said. “Councils of half a million people is simply unknown. That is not local government.”
Mr Stamolis said he was concerned that Destination 2036 appeared to be emphasising amalgamation and structural reform, instead of more organic change through resource-sharing.

But it is not the first time such ideas have been floated. In early 2011, the then Minister for Roads and Western Sydney, David Borger, suggested the number of Sydney councils should be slashed from 41 to six.

In 2004, South Sydney Council was absorbed by the City of Sydney, and in 2000 Drummoyne and Concord merged to become the City of Canada Bay Council.

A spokesperson for the minister, Don Page, said: “The NSW Government has a policy of no forced amalgamations, but will speak with any councils or councils that wish to discuss an amalgamation, or want to learn more about amalgamating.”