Barton Deakin Brief: Government’s Local Government Amalgamations

13 May 2016

On 12 May 2016, the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon Mike Baird MP announced the amalgamation of 19 new councils across and New South Wales. Another 9 amalgamations await the outcome of litigation. Finally, 14 of the original proposed amalgamations will not proceed.

This Barton Deakin Brief outlines the New South Wales Government’s announcement of Local Government Amalgamation Proceedings.

Background

On 6 January 2016, the Minister for Local Government, the Hon MP, announced 35 merger proposals to the Chief Executive of the Office of Local Government for examination and report under the Local Government Act 1993.

In addition to a number of councils submitting their own proposals, the Chief Executive delegated the examination and reporting function for a total of 45 merger proposals to Delegates. Delegates conducted public inquiries, called for written submission and prepared reports with regard to section 263(3) of the Local Government Act 1993. Delegate reports were then sent to the Minister for Local Government, the Hon Paul Toole MP and the independent Local Government Boundaries Commission for comment.

Council Amalgamations Proceeding

1. Armidale Regional Council : The merger of Armidale Dumaresq and councils 2. Canterbury-Bankstown Council : The merger of Bankstown City and Canterbury City councils 3. Central Coast Council : The merger of City and councils 4. City of Council : The merger of Paramatta City*, *, Auburn City*, Holroyd City* and * councils 5. Cumberland Council : The merger of Parramatta City*, Auburn City* and Holroyd City* councils 6. Council : The merger of Shire and councils 7. Federation Council : The merger of Shire and Shire councils 8. : The merger of Hurstville City and Kogarah City councils 9. Council : The merger of Shire and councils 10. : The merger of Boorowa, and councils 11. Council : The merger of Ashfield, Leichhardt Municipal and Marrickville councils 12. Mid-Coast Council : The merger of , Great Lakes and Greater Taree City councils 13. Council : The merger of and Shire councils 14. : The merger of Shire and councils 15. Council : The merger of Manly, and Warringah councils

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SYDNEY/MELBOURNE/CANBERRA/BRISBANE/PERTH/WELLINGTON/HOBART/DARWIN

16. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council : The merger of Palerang and Queanbeyan City councils 17. Snowy Regional Council : The merger of Bombala, Cooma- and Shire councils 18. : The merger of Shire and Shire councils 19. Western Plains Regional Council : The merger of Dubbo City and Wellington councils

For further details regarding these 19 new amalgamated councils, click here.

Merger Proposals Pending – subject to litigation with the Government’s in-principle support:

1. Bathurst Regional and Oberon councils 2. , Cabonne and Orange City councils 3. Burwood, and Strathfield Municipal councils 4. City of and Rockdale City council 5. Hornsby Shire* and Ku-ring-gai councils 6. Hunter’s Hill, Lane Cove and councils 7. Mosman Municipal, North Sydney and Willoughby City councils 8. Randwick City, Waverley and Woollahra Municipal councils 9. Shellharbour City and Wollongong City councils

Merger Proposals Pending:

10. Armidale Dumaresq, Guyra Shire, and Walcha councils 11. and Maitland City councils 12. Newcastle City and Port Stephens councils

Merger Proposals Not Proceeding

1. and * councils 2. Boorowa and Young Shire councils 3. , Gundagai Shire and Harden Shire councils 4. , , councils 5. Dungog Shire and Gloucester Shire councils 6. Goulburn Mulwaree and Palerang* councils 7. Hawkesbury City and The Hills Shire* councils 8. Jerilderie Shire* and Murrumbidgee Shire councils 9. Kiama Municipal and Shoalhaven City councils 10. Manly, Mosman Municipal and Warringah* councils 11. North Sydney and Willoughby City councils 12. Palerang* and Queanbeyan City councils 13. Pittwater and Warringah* councils 14. Tamworth Regional and Walcha councils

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Amalgamation funding commitments to new merged councils

 $15 million will go to each new council to invest in community projects;  $10 million will go to each new council to streamline administrative processes with unspent funds to be redirected to community projects; and  Ratepayers in new council areas will have their rates protected against future increases – their rates will not be higher than the rates they would have under their old council for 4 years.

Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016

The Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016 was made under the Local Government Act 1993 by the Governor of New South Wales, the Hon AC DSC (Ret’d) and the Minister for Local Government, The Hon Paul Toole MP.

The date of the first election of the councillors of a new council is 9 September 2017 as stated in the proclamation. Interim general managers and deputy general managers have been appointed.

Council Proceedings – amalgamated councils, wards and key information

Councils Proceeding Wards Key Information Population: 29,946 Armidale Regional Council Armidale Regional Council will not be Area (sq Km): 8,621  Armidale Dumaresq divided into wards for the first Number of Councillors: 11  Guyra Shire election. Administrator: Ian Tiley Interim General Manager: Glen Wilcox Population: 350,983 1. Revesby Ward Canterbury-Bankstown Area (sq Km): 110 2. Bass Hill Ward Council Number of Wards: 5 3. Bankstown Ward  Bankstown City Number of Councillors per ward: 3 4. Roselands Ward  Canterbury City Administrator: Richard Colley 5. Canterbury Ward Interim General Manager: Matthew Stewart Population: 331,007 1. Gosford West Ward Area (sq Km): 1,681 Central Coast Council 2. Gosford East Ward Number of Wards: 5  Gosford City 3. The Entrance Ward Number of Councillors per ward: 3  Wyong Shire 4. Wyong Ward Administrator: Ian Reynolds 5. Budgewoi Ward Interim General Manager: Rob Noble Council Population: 215,725 1. Parramatta Ward  Parramatta City* Area (sq Km): 82 2. Dundas Ward  The Hills Shire* Number of Wards: 5 3. North Rocks  Auburn City* Number of Councillors per ward: 3 4. Epping Ward  Holroyd City* Administrator: Amanda Chadwick 5. Rosehill Ward  Hornsby Shire* Interim General Manager: Greg Dyer Population: 29,147 1. Greystanes Ward Cumberland Council Area (sq Km): 72 2. Wentworthville Ward  Parramatta City* Number of Wards: 5 3. Granville Ward  Auburn City* Number of Councillors per ward: 3 4. South Granville Ward  Holroyd City* Administrator: Viv May 5. Regents Park Ward Interim General Manager: Merv Ismay Population: 8,972 Edward River Council will not be Area (sq Km): 8,881  divided into wards for the first Number of Councillors: 9  Deniliquin councils election. Administrator: Ashley Hall Interim General Manager: Des Bilske Federation Council Federation Council will not be Population: 12,602  Corowa Shire divided into wards for the first Area (sq Km): 5,685

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 Urana Shire election. Number of Councillors: 9 Administrator: Mike Eden Interim General Manager: Chris Gillard Population: 146,916 1. Peakhurst Ward Area (sq Km): 38 Georges River Council 2. Mortdale Ward Number of Wards: 5  Hurstville City 3. Blakehurst Ward Number of Councillors per ward: 3  Kogarah City 4. Hurstville Ward Administrator: John Rayner 5. Kogarah Bay Ward Interim General Manager: Gail Connolly Population: 11,504 Gundagai Council Area (sq Km): 3,981 Gundagai Council will not be divided  Cootamundra Shire Number of Councillors: 9 into wards for the first election.  Gundagai Shire Administrator: Christine Fergason Interim General Manager: Ken Tretheway Population: 18,994 Hilltops Council Area (sq Km): 7,139  Boorowa Hilltops Council will not be divided Number of Councillors: 11  Harden Shire into wards for the first election. Administrator: Wendy Tuckerman  Young Shire Interim General Manager: Anthony McMahon Population: 185,990 1. Marrickville Ward Area (sq Km): 35  Ashfield 2. Stanmore Ward Number of Wards: 5  Leichhardt 3. Ashfield Ward Number of Councillors per ward: 3 Municipal 4. Leichhardt Ward Administrator: Richard Pearson  Marrickville 5. Balmain Ward Interim General Manager: Vanessa Chan Population: 90,504 Mid-Coast Council Area (sq Km): 10,053  Gloucester Shire Mid-Coast Council will not be divided Number of Councillors: 11  Great Lakes into wards for the first election. Administrator: John Turner  Greater Taree City Interim General Manager: Glen Handford Population: 11,456 Area (sq Km): 11,865 1. Ward Number of Wards: 3  Murray Shire 2. Greater Murray Ward Number of Councillors per ward: 3  3. Greater Wakool Ward Administrator: David Shaw Interim General Manager: Margot Stork Population: 4,047 Murrumbidgee Council Area (sq Km): 6,880 1. Murrumbidgee Ward  Jerilderie Shire Number of Wards: 3 2. Murrumbidgee East Ward  Murrumbidgee Number of Councillors per ward: 3 3. Jerilderie Ward Shire Administrator: Austin Evans Interim General Manager: Craig Moffitt Population: 263,413 1. Manly Ward Area (sq Km): 254 2. Frenchs Forest Ward  Manly Number of Wards: 5 3. Ward  Pittwater Number of Councillors per ward: 3 4. Ward  Warringah Administrator: 5. Pittwater Ward Interim General Manager: Mark Ferguson Queanbeyan-Palerang Population: 56,368 Regional Council Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Area (sq Km): 5,319  will not be divided into wards Number of Councillors: 11  Queanbeyan City for the first election. Administrator: Tim Overall councils Interim General Manager: Peter Tegart Snowy Monaro Regional Population: 20,707 Council Snowy Monaro Regional Council will Area (sq Km): 15,162  Bombala not be divided into wards for the first Number of Councillors: 11  Cooma-Monaro election. Administrator: Dean Lynch Shire Interim General Manager: Joseph Vescio  Snowy Valleys Council Population: 14,953 Snowy Valleys Council will not be  Area (sq Km): 8,960 divided into wards for the first  Number of Councillors: 9 election. councils Administrator: Paul Sullivan

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Interim General Manager: Bob Stewart Population: 50,627 1. Wellington Ward Western Plains Regional Area (sq Km): 7,536 2. Dubbo South Ward Council Number of Wards: 5 3. Dubbo Central Ward  Dubbo City Number of Councillors per ward: 2 4. Dubbo East Ward  Wellington Administrator: Michael Kniepp 5. Dubbo North Ward Interim General Manager: Mark Riley

Further Information

The NSW Government website for Local Government Amalgamations is accessible here.

For more information, please contact Anthony Benscher on +61 438 439 431 or Jessica Yu on +61 2 9191 7888.

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