Opinion by PETER HEHIR Toxic soup in the harbour, poisoned air, the amalgamation debacle, the huge debt the Inner West Council has incurred and the inevitability of increased rates begs the question. What is it that you, as a concerned individual, can do? Send the report and the SMH article to as many of your […]
By ALLISON HORE Upcoming changes to the way rates are calculated in the Inner West will leave some ratepayers out of pocket up to 20 percent more. Currently there are three rates structures across the Inner West. This disparity comes as a result of the three pre-amalgamation councils- Ashfield Council, Leichhardt Council and Marrickville Council- […]
BY ALEC SMART The newly elected Inner West Council is considering overturning the forced amalgamation that brought three councils together in May 2016, and return them to their constituent parts. At the Inner West Council meeting on 24 October, councillors debated whether to hold a plebiscite on de-amalgamating Inner West Council. The issue was ultimately […]
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 […]
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 […]
BY ALEC SMART When you think of countries where local council boundaries are fragmented and their administrations centralized by government decree, when populations with disparate interests and economic ties are consolidated, often against their will, you would be forgiven for suspecting some sort of gerrymandering was taking place. However, when the government that’s imposing these […]
Councils and resident groups have expressed their anger at the State Government reopening the possibility of forced local government amalgamation. The NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Local Government Paul Toole last week announced a $1 billion package for council reforms, leaving the door open for forced amalgamations. Under the Fit for the Future […]