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Wednesday 25 October, 2017 THE WEEKLY TIMES 5
Government defeats Bill that would kill forced mergers
The Berejiklian Government has refused to rule out the forced mergers
before the recent local government elections.
A Bill put before NSW
Parliament this week
would have ruled out
forced mergers with
approval by local communities
but it was
defeated by the Berejiklian
Government in
the Legislative Assembly
by 47 votes to 37
votes.
Hunters Hill’s Phil
Jenkyn - who is the
spokesperson for the
Save Our Councils
Coalition - was in NSW
Parliament for the vote
this week and is furious
with the outcome.
“This government has
made it clear that their
policy of forced council
mergers continues,” he
said.
“We’ve tried to reason
with this government
but continues to
launch an all out attack
on communities and
so we’ve decided to
launch an all out attack
on this government
until it is thrown out of
government at the next
election,”
The Labor Party and
the Shooters and Fishers
Party had supported
the Local Government
Amendment
(Amalgamations) Bill
and Labor’s Local Government
spokesman
Peter Primrose MLC on
Friday promised to deamalgamate
our forcibly
merged councils
where local communities
oppose the forced
merger.
This would mean that
parts of Epping forced
to merge with Parramatta
would leave
Parramatta and Leichhardt
Council would regain
its independence
after being forcibly
and Marrickville.
Mr Jenkyn said forcibly
merged councils
have a right to be angry.
“The Government has
refused to allow communities
forcibly amalgamated
to have a say
on whether they wanted
their council back,”
“You would think that
the Liberals might have
learnt something from
the recent by-elections
in the city and country
where there have
been massive swings
against them in areas
where forced mergers
were a major issue,
such as the 24 per cent
swing in Manly 24%
and the 15 per cent
swing in North Shore.”
Save Our Councils
Coalition President Brian
Halstead thanked
the politicians who
stood up for their communities
in Parliament.
“All political parties
and independents, except
the Liberal/National
Party, supported
the Bill,” he said.
“They also support
SOCCs principles of no
forced amalgamations,
keeping
local government
truly local and fair and
proper referendums.”
Labor’s Local Government spokesman Peter Primrose
is pictured outside NSW Parliament last Friday where
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STUDENTS, parents and Hunters Hill Council
will be urging Lane Cove MP Anthony Roberts
to fund a lollypop man to ensure safety at the
Earl Street pedestrian crossing outside Boronia
Park Public School.
Acting General Manager
Steve Kourepis said
the Council is expected
to back the school’s
campaign to have the
state government fund
the “lollypop man”
to prevent dangerous
driver behaviour during
school arrival and leaving
times.
“Council will write to
support letter to be sent
to Roads and Maritime
Services suggesting the
school crossing supervisor
as well as writing a
letter to Lane Cove MP
Anthony Roberts for his
support,” Mr Kourepis
said.
“Another issue is the
bus parking outside
the school on Pittwater
Road.”
The safety of Boronia
Park Public School students
on neighbouring
Earl Street has become
a major and urgent priority
for a new Hunters
Hill Council working
group.
The working group of
councillors was created
this week and will be
chaired by new councillor
Ben Collins.
The school had also
raised the issue of the
removal of trees in Earl
Street to create more
parking spots and the
council had agreed to
extra ranger patrols.
Acting General Manager
Steve Kourepis told
The Weekly Times the
extra patrols are now in
force.
“I was there last Tuesday
with the rangers and
there rangers have been
using their discretion in
the mornings and the afternoons
on their regular
patrols.
“We’re considering a
driver education program
as an alternative to
we’ll wait and see what
comes out of this.”
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