'The amalgamation is not working' says former Greater Taree City Council mayor, Paul Hogan

Paul Hogan is rallying support to deliver a strong community message to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that “the forced amalgamation that created MidCoast Council is not working.”

The former Greater Taree City Council mayor is seizing the opportunity created by the recent election of the new NSW Premier after she spoke about forced amalgamations with 2GB’s Ray Hadley in her first interview as Premier.

"There's no doubt there is opportunity to listen to the community on that issue. I do appreciate what sections of the community are saying to us in that regard," she said.

Mr Hogan says a “rethink is what we need and she’s prepared to listen to the community. If that’s the truth, then I commend her and advise our community to write to the NSW Premier.”

Mr Hogan is again stepping into the spotlight to advocate community concerns about the forced merger and says “the amalgamation is not working”. He shares that his phone rings hot with people calling to convey their frustrations with trying to deal with MidCoast Council, and points to the recent Stronger Communities Grants Program funding distribution as “evidence of inequity” in decision making. He now intends to use his experience in local government to work to “right the wrongs that have been done” by the forced amalgamation and will seek election as a councillor in September.

He says it’s important the community voice is heard in the NSW Premier’s office – not just the MidCoast Council summation of its operational progress.

Mr Hogan believes former Great Lakes Council general manager and now, MidCoast Council interim general manager, Glenn Handford “is in over his head.”

“You can’t work in thought bubbles to bring an organisation together. He removed people that could do it successfully.

“When this process started we at Greater Taree decided we could work with the other councils towards some satisfactory result but it was taken out of our hands by politicians to follow a philosophy of Great Lakes Council. That’s where the whole process has failed and that’s the wrong I want to right.”

Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead last week spoke to the issue of NSW amalgamations saying, “the leader has said that the Nationals will not support further forced amalgamations in regional NSW, however there is no intention to ‘unscramble the egg’ on those already amalgamated councils.”