Tag Archives
Another one bites the dust: Inner West Council GM calls it quits
By ALLISON HORE Following mayor Darcy Byrne's referral of his own council to the auditor general over its handling of the Dawny refurbishment, a senior official in the Inner West Council has decided to call it quits. In an email sent to council staff on Tuesday afternoon, acting general manager of the Inner West Council, […]
The coming storm…
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 […]
Rates harmonisation winners and losers
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- […]
Inner West Council demerger urged
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 […]
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 […]
Pushing boundaries: why size matters
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 […]
Backlash to forced council amalgamations unites suburbs big and small
BY ANDREW BARCLAY Councils from across NSW’s have continued to unite in their fight against the Baird Government’s forced amalgamations, which they say is a “threat to their local communities”. Mayor of Woollahra Toni Zeltzer said she met with councils from across NSW because mergers could be “the beginning of the end” for smaller councils. […]
Councils hit back against amalgamations
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 […]
