MAYOR Geoff Kettle has welcomed the appointment of an independent body to assess council reform proposals.
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But he has one message for the powers that be - ‘get on with it’.
“This has taken so much time and money,” he said.
“Local government reform needs to happen but I really wish they (the state government) would have the courage to do it.”
Last week, NSW Local Government Minister Paul Toole announced that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) would act as an expert advisory panel to review council reform proposals.
The submissions, which are part of the State’s Fit for the Future reforms, are due by June 30.
With Upper Lachlan Shire Council resisting any amalgamation, Goulburn Mulwaree will recommend the status quo. However it is also embracing greater resource sharing within a joint organisation of councils.
Mr Toole said IPART was the right body for the job. It had “extensive local government expertise and proven experience” and was chosen after “careful consideration.”
“Councils and communities deserve these proposals to be considered independently, and assessed with consistency, fairness and impartiality,” he said.
South Australian local government expert John Comrie will assist the Tribunal.
While IPART’s selection has drawn criticism from some quarters, Cr Kettle was comfortable with the choice.
“I agree with the Premier that you need an independent panel to look at proposals. it needs to be at arm’s length,” he said.
“The only thing was I thought perhaps there should be a representation from a regionally based and city mayor.”
He argued the reforms needed a “clinical approach” given the delays to date.
IPART chairman Dr Peter Boxall said council applications would be assessed against the four criteria identified through the Fit for the Future reforms.
A council’s scale and capacity is the threshold issue to be addressed before consideration of the benchmarks for financial sustainability, infrastructure and service management, and operating efficiency.
“Our methodology proposes that in cases where the Independent Local Government Review Panel (ILGRP) recommended a merger, councils not proposing a merger in their applications would need to provide a sound argument that it is not the best option in their case,” Dr Boxall said.
No mood for merger
THE Review Panel recommended that Goulburn Mulwaree become a council in a Joint Organisation (JO).
It suggested the same for Upper Lachlan, or a merger post 2020. Its mayor and councillors have rejected any amalgamation and said the council was financially sound to stand alone.
Cr Kettle has gone cold on the idea too, despite initial consideration.
“I’m not convinced that whole for whole amalgamation in some circumstances is a good idea,” he said.
“If you amalgamate a reasonably strong council with a weak one, then you end up with a not very strong council. I think if you’re going to go down that track, it would be better to consider minor boundary adjustments to create a stronger entity.”
The mayor and general manager Warwick Bennett have met neighbouring councils in preparation for its Fit for the Future submission.
Cr Kettle said Palerang and Queanbeyan were the only ones considering amalgamation.
Asked whether Upper Lachlan could withstand a merger, given IPART’s approach, Cr Kettle said he hadn’t seen the internal workings of that council’s budget.
“But the panel will decide, the same as it will for us,” he said.
IPART has proposed three ‘templates’ for submissions on the reforms. These are ‘council improvement proposal,’ ‘council merger’ and ‘rural council.’ The latter is a largely autonomous entity, working within a joint organisation of councils. It is aimed at reducing regulatory and compliance burdens.
Cr Kettle said Goulburn Mulwaree would likely lodge a council improvement proposal, focused on structural change and resource sharing.
Several councillor workshops on the reforms have taken place. More community consultation is planned before June 30.
The Tribunal will provide the government with a final assessment report by October 16 this year.