The “decisions” announced this week regarding Council mergers, diverged enormously from the earlier proposals. The big news for Great Lakes region is that, barring any further u-turns, our Council is not to be merged with anyone. Port Stephens will join Newcastle – although both were “fit for the future”. Dungog will join Gloucester although both were supposedly not fit. But does this mean that we, in Great Lakes, stay exactly as we are? Perhaps not.
Gloucester's Mayor has already put in a bid for part of Great Lakes. Necessary, he says, if their merger is to be viable. The current boundary between the shires of Dungog of Gloucester is mountain. The connecting road between them passes through Stroud – part of Great Lakes.
Indeed it could be said that Stroud is the true spiritual home of our Council area. Our Council was even named Stroud Shire Council before the Council HQ moved from Stroud to Forster. Many in the Cove fought an unsuccessful campaign against that move. There are also strong historical links between this area and Stroud through the Australian Agricultural Company.
The Boundaries Commission will consider the issues and make determinations sometime during 2016. There could be more surprises then.
