It has taken the Minns Labor Government more than a year to set the pathway for Council de-amalgamations.
Shadow Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman said the Local Government Amendment (De-amalgamations) Bill 2024 finally addresses the legality of the Council demerger process, as was laid out by the former Liberals Nationals Government’s roadmap.
“Our Councils need a fair and supportive process, which addresses the challenges they face, such as the ones raised by the Cootamundra-Gundagai de-merger proposal,” Mrs Tuckerman said.
“When the Minns Government was elected, Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig said he was not prepared to legislate. I am pleased that he has now seen the sense in Opposition’s arguments and backflipped on his position – even if it took him a year – because it provides a pathway forward for the communities.”
“The former Liberals and Nationals Government understood the challenges posed by section 218CC of the Local Government Act and sought to resolve these, in the face of the Labor opposition playing politics,” said Mrs Tuckerman.
“Our amendments have rectified Labor’s inconsistent stance on financial responsibility for demergers and will now allow the councils to get assistance from the Government.”
“It is a great relief to Councils that these amendments will allow for a grant of up to $5 million from the NSW Government to assist in de-merging.”
The key amendments from the Opposition include provisions for grants and loans to offset financial impacts, transparent reporting through the Boundaries Commission, and safeguards for council staff during and after demerger proposals.
WENDY TUCKERMAN 