IT seems unclear, even to our elected councillors, as to when council elections will be held in Goulburn Mulwaree.
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Local Government Minister Paul Toole’s recent comments are not helping the situation either. So what has the Minister said so far?
Last week he told Parliament that for councils who were the were the subject of a merger proposal, that council elections would be held in March next year.
Yet, during question time he said: “We have told other councils that it is business as usual and to prepare for an election in September this year.”
So one would think from this that those councils that have been left to stand alone (like Upper Lachlan) will have elections in September this year.
Those those councils like Goulburn Mulwaree, who are the subject of a possible merger proposal, will have elections in March next year.
But it is not clear cut for Goulburn Mulwaree, as Mayor Kettle has said in our front page story today. We still don’t know what is going on with the proposed merger with Palerang.
If it is confusing for our councillors, then it is doubly confusing to everyone else.
Local Government NSW President Keith Rhoades seems to have the right idea in asking for all council elections being held at the same time, rather than splitting the timing. He has also said that there is a very slight preference among members for March 2017 over September 2016.
Surely this would make more sense to everyone in NSW. It would give everyone more time to deal with the fallout of local government reform and allow ratepayers to get their heads around it all.
We are also likely to be in the throes of a federal election soon and surely enough for people to focus on this year.
Cool for school
THE Goulburn Post has started a new project with local high schools. This edition, Trinity Catholic College gets the project underway (or see page 17 of Monday, March 28).
On the fourth Monday monthly, the Post will hand over a page to local high school students to share the stories, images and ideas they care about.
Trinity has an excellent youth media crew who often work through their lunch hour, coming up with exciting and exquisite ways to share stories.
They’ve certainly set a high benchmark for other local high schools to meet in coming months. Best of all, this project is entirely student-driven.
The Post thanks principal Mary-Jane Carroll-Fajarda and teacher Lauren Shinfield for letting the students take the lead. They’ve done a great job!