Tag Archives
Council merge splurge diverge
BY JOHN MOYLE In 2016 the Baird Government did an embarrassing backflip over NSW council amalgamations, resulting in only 19 of the 35 proposed mergers going ahead. The only inner city amalgamation to proceed was between Leichhardt, Ashfield and Marrickville councils, as all others fought or escaped when Baird’s plans fell into a malodorous heap. […]
Amalgamation blues
BY JADE MORELLINI The festive season is meant to be a time of giving, but that’s not the case for the State Government, which has reneged on their promise to reimburse Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick District Councils of $1,068,996 for the merger preparation costs. On the 27th July, the NSW State Government announced all proposed […]
Inner West goes red and green
BY JOSEPH FENAUGHTY Labor and the Greens were the biggest winners in this weekend’s Inner West Council elections with the Liberal party trailing a distant third. The weekend’s election ended over a year’s uncertainty since the forced amalgamations in 2016. This was the Inner west council’s first chance since to have democratically-elected councillors to preside […]
Randwick elections will be a close call
BY ANITA SENARATNA In the forthcoming 2017 Local Council Elections, the political outcome of the City of Randwick is unpredictable. Although Randwick Council used to be a Labor stronghold, the Liberals and the Greens have had success there in recent years. But the failed merger with Waverley and Woollahra Councils could see a couple more […]
Questions over amalgamation impact
BY BEN RAUE The forthcoming Local Council Elections on September 9 appear likely to produce some unexpected results amidst a backdrop of unfamiliar candidates and uneasy alliances. The forced amalgamations of electorates, that began after the NSW Government announced 19 new Sydney councils in May 2016, has created a significant stirring of resentment against the […]
Woollahra stands strong
BY ANITA SENARATNA The electorate of Woollahra has been safe Liberal party territory for the past two decades, and the local government election on September 9 is unlikely to bring any changes to the status quo. But the Greens and Residents First parties are also campaigning hard in the area. Both parties will be running […]
Liberals could face backlash in Waverley Council elections
BY ANITA SENARATNA Located in Sydney’s leafy eastern suburbs and home to one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, Waverley Council is traditionally Liberal party heartland. But the failed merger with Randwick and Woollahra councils and the deeply unpopular Bondi Pavilion upgrade have left a bad taste in voters’ mouths, and this could translate to […]
Mergers front and centre in September
BY MEL SOMERVILLE The NSW Government’s proposed amalgamations will be a major issue for candidates to address in the lead up to Randwick Council elections, which will be held on Saturday the 9th September. The proposed merger of Randwick council with Waverley and Woollahra councils has been halted pending Woollahra’s appeal to the High […]
State of emergency: Waverley calls extraordinary meeting
BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS An emergency Waverley Council meeting on Sunday ended with a man declaring “this is the start of a war on the Liberals,” as Council sat to speak on a report about the merger proposal between Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick councils. Dominic Wy Kanak said he positioned himself between the man, who looked […]
Fit for the Future deadline unable to waver Councils
By Lydia Watson-Moore The majority of Sydney councils remained defiant against forced amalgamations as the state government’s ‘Fit for the Future’ deadline passed on June 30. While most councils including Marrickville, City of Sydney and Woollahra positioned themselves as against forced mergers, Waverley, Randwick and Leichhardt stood out as the few willing to propose […]
