The ash is settling after the firestorm that razed Greater Taree, Great Lakes and Gloucester councils from the NSW map of local government to give rise to MidCoast Council.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A new local government map is now on the table that will force MidCoast Council and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to consider the issues of strategic planning, community interest, identity, governance and accountability.
The State government is continuing its ‘Fit for the Future’ local government reform agenda and the next stage is the creation of Joint Organisations (JO) throughout the State.
The map places MidCoast Council in the proposed Hunter JO and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in the proposed North Coast JO. It differs from the pre-amalgamation JO proposal that could have seen Greater Taree, Gloucester, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Kempsey formed into the Mid North Coast JO.
This week MidCoast Council interim general manager Glenn Handford said “we fully support the draft plans that show MidCoast Council contained within the Hunter JO.”
The government is seeking feedback on its proposal ‘Joint Organisations: Getting the boundaries right’ by October 27. Mr Handford said council had requested the government include it in the Hunter JO and would make a “short submission” by the deadline “agreeing to the State government’s position.” Manning Valley Business Chamber president Jeremy Thornton is calling for community consultation “before a firm decision is made”. (See below for related story links).
The Office of Local Government consulted with councils on the proposed JO model through the two papers - ‘Joint Organisations: Emerging Directions’ and ‘Joint Organisations: Towards a new model for regional collaboration’. It invited feedback that would contribute to the development of the JO functions and proposed boundaries. The first paper attracted 64 submissions and the second, 56 submissions. MidCoast Council made no submission to either paper.
On the table are 11 proposed JO and according to Paul Toole, minister for local government they “will change the way councils and State government work together on regional planning” and its June 2016 background paper, ‘Joint Organisations: Towards a new model for regional collaboration’ it puts that “successful collaboration will require a fundamental cultural shift in how relationships are approached by both State government and local government. It will need mature relationships based on shared information and a culture of collaboration, negotiation and trust.”
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council acted to participate in the consultation and feedback process and in its submission stated concerns about intergovernmental collaboration of “mutual trust and respect”.
“Whilst this is a noble goal the recent council amalgamation process confirms that this goal will simply not be achieved under the current master/servant relationship. It will only be achieved if State and local government are equal partners in the JO relationship.”
RELATED STORIES:
