Former MidCoast Water general manager Neil Hanington is fighting to focus public and political attention on the NSW government’s plan to dissolve MidCoast Water and merge its assets and operations within MidCoast Council.

It’s a plan that MidCoast Council administrator John Turner announced just before Christmas and is now before the NSW government.

Mr Hanington says “you have to question the timing of the announcement” and is calling on member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead to support MidCoast Water standing alone.

He is talking to individuals, business groups and the media in a bid to prompt the community to focus its attention on the proposal and ask questions of MidCoast Council.

It’s been about five years since Mr Hanington held the top job at MidCoast Water but he believes his voice is important and should be heard by the broader community and decision makers. He cites decades of experience in delivering energy and water services to the residents in our region and 14 years in the top job at MidCoast Water as his credentials and during that time he guided the organisation through structural changes, innovation, streamlined operations and implemented environmental reforms. 

He says the MidCoast Council bid for MidCoast Water is about money and assets. 

“Things weren’t all that rosy in the Garden of Eden that was Great Lakes Council. Some of the systems in Great Lakes Council were archaic,” Mr Hanington said.

“MidCoast Water has a new $3.2 million computer system, they’ve got a new GPS system and that would more than cover the MidCoast Council area and they have more modern project management plans, safety management plans and asset management plans.

“The new council can’t operate without these new modern systems – it is a complete impossibility on the existing systems they have - it’s impossible for them to run an efficient organisation.”

Mr Hanington says he “is reading between the lines” when examining the NSW government’s decision to not grant MidCoast Council’s recent application for a rate rise.

“The NSW government says, we won’t give you a rate rise but we will give you MidCoast Water and you’ll be able to go back to the good old days of milking the water and sewer funds to make up for any deficiencies in your general fund’. That’s what I reckon, but it will be denied.

“They will pillage MidCoast Water. This is a common occurrence in local government in NSW. They will milk the funds and no-one will see it because it will be done internally. Now is the time to say something.”

Click here to read the response of MidCoast Water interim general manager, Glenn Handford.