MidCoast Council administrator John Turner has praised the way staff from the former Greater Taree, Great Lakes and Gloucester councils are working together in the merger transition.
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“It is slowly and surely coming together,” he said, adding that the task ahead is “a bit daunting”.
“The staff and interim general manager have been absolutely wonderful.
“The staff from the three former councils are really wanting to make it work. They are working so well together.”
Mr Turner said there is a reporting process to the State government about how the merger is progressing and from feedback “we are well ahead of the game”.
He acknowledges there are people in the community both for and against the merger but that “it has happened” and it isn’t possible to “just get up and come September have an election,” which has been called for by some people in the council’s area.
He said MidCoast Council has an estimated 1000 procedures that need to be merged together from Greater Taree, Great Lakes and Gloucester councils.
Mr Turner said the merged council is bringing positives, and relayed a “lovely story” he heard from interim general manager Glenn Handford.
A planner in the Gloucester office had only been taking one week of his holidays each year (instead of the designated four) as there was only one of him and no one else to fill the position.
“When he went on holidays he had to put an ad in the paper to say there will be nobody there to look at the applications,” said Mr Turner.
He said upon hearing this, planners from both Great Lakes and Greater Taree said that arrangement was “ridiculous” and committed to covering for him so he can have his month of holidays.