In recent days he has been repeatedly asked to explain the Great Lakes Council decision to lobby the State government to change strategic planning boundaries to include Great Lakes in the Hunter region. 

Cementing the perceived push by Great Lakes Council to consolidate its Hunter connections is the revelation that it will not be represented at a meeting of numerous councils in Taree on Monday.

The meeting will focus on the need to form a regional Joint Organisation as part of the State government reform process of local government and it is drawing representatives from Greater Taree City Council, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Gloucester Shire Council, Kempsey Shire Council and water and sewage provider MidCoast Water.

Mr Handford defended the decision of Great Lakes Council to not attend the meeting and challenged the perception that the decision to align with the Hunter is a new direction.

“It’s important that people understand that this decision to align with the Hunter region was not made yesterday. I again stress that we are a foundation of the Hunter Regional Organisation of Councils (HROC),” Mr Handford said.

“In the early 90s we became a member of HROC and it is an organisation that is well-established and respected in our area,” he said.

“It is also simply a matter that a significant proportion of our local government area is in the Hunter region.

“We have always sought to work closely with all regional councils to provide the best outcome for our area, and we are financially sustainable now and into the future.

“We will liase with our adjoining councils where appropriate and we are in joint service arrangements that are in the best interests of our council.”

Greater Taree City Council mayor Paul Hogan last week sparked discussion about the Great Lakes Council decision to further develop its connection to the Hunter region.

“I strongly believe that the residents of Forster and Tuncurry consider themselves part of the Mid North Coast,” he said.

“There is a long history of Forster people utilising services in Taree including hospital, medical, entertainment, railway, schools and other education facilities and our regional airport.

“For day to day living, our communities interact regularly, tourists come to Forster as a destination on the Mid North Coast, not the Hunter Valley.

“The decision to change the strategic planning boundaries means that the people of Forster and Tuncurry will not have an opportunity to have input into the future of the Mid North Coast, through activities such as the Mid North Coast Plan and other regional and state strategic decisions that affect the Mid North Coast.”