At its General Meeting held on 22 March Great Lakes Council adopted the following position on the proposed merger:
- Great Lakes Council has held a long term position to stand alone and has been found to be fit under the NSW Government's Fit for the Future program. Council was also found to be financially sustainable by NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp). On this basis, Council is confident that their strategic direction and management practices are sound and in line with the Government's vision for the future of local government.
- Council has considered and understands the NSW Government's direction on local government reform and mergers. In recognition of this direction, Council acknowledges and is prepared to support the Minister's proposal to merge Great Lakes, Greater Taree and Gloucester Councils subject to a blueprint for the future being developed to ensure the new Council is appropriately structured for success and the delivery of efficient and effective services to the communities of the combined Councils.
- That Council engages Morrison Low to assist with Council's submission and suggested merger blueprint
- Council advises our residents and ratepayers of our decision and reasons through information forums, website and media
- Council approve a budget of up to $100,000 for the above.
Deputy Mayor Len Roberts writes:
Our councillors are strategic thinkers. It is no good holding a position that will, despite being sound and best for us in the short term, ultimately fall over. We asked what if? The government has found us fit, as they did Port Stephens. The only 2 councils on the north coast that met all the criteria but still chose to place us in the merger pot. We must ask why? There is a bigger agenda here. The government is saying Local government is broken and Great Lakes and Port Stephens are part of the solution to fix the bigger problem. We may not like it but it is the only proposal on the table.
So council took the view if it is to happen how would it work? What is needed to make it work?. We need to develop a blue print that looks at all the issues objectively and come up with a blue print that we can work from rather than have one thrust upon us. When you want to build a great house you go to an award winning architect. We are therefore engaging Morrison Low to help us with that. They are independent to us and not emotionally locked in as we councillors and staff are. In building our dream house we may have ideas that the architect shows are impractical.
King Canute tried to hold back the waves and failed. He would have been better spending his time building something that would redirect the flow and protect his village. We councillors do not wish to replicate his failures. The councillors asked the question, If a merger tsunami is coming how do we best protect our towns and villages so that our culture , values, identity and local voice is not lost. To us the answer was a no brainer. We need to replicate what the council and residents have done over the past 8 years to get us fit for the future, but on a larger scale.
Our towns and villages are distinct local identities with individual character and charm and strong voices. Yet combined they are great lakes, not part of a greater Forster or a greater Bulahdelah.
Bulahdelah is a classic example. It used to have continuous local councillor representation . It has not had local representation for some 10 years but it certainly still has its voice. I believe that can be said of all our towns and villages. This has not happened by accident but by a partnership of strong council leadership and strong engaged communities.
If our councillors , staff and communities are not in there driving the blueprint of change, then yes, we are indeed at risk of losing our voice. It is important that the community attend the hearings and let the delegate know what the community wants.
