JOINT PRESS RELEASE FROM THE MAYORS OF COOTAMUNDRA, GUNDAGAI AND HARDEN SHIRE COUNCILS
This week has seen the final round of public inquiries conducted by the government delegate into proposed mergers involving Cootamundra, Gundagai and Harden Councils. At the public inquiries the residents and ratepayers of these communities have expressed their views very clearly. Cootamundra and Harden communities plainly support a voluntary merger between both Councils whilst Gundagai overwhelmingly supports their Council’s right to stand alone. Following extensive community consultation it is clear that the Councils have followed different paths to achieve the government’s Local Government reform agenda.
Cootamundra and Harden have pursued a voluntary merger proposal whilst Gundagai has chosen a self- improvement plan. Each of the Councils have demonstrated to the government that they are ‘Fit for the Future’ supported by financial models that demonstrate their long term sustainability. The Mayor of Harden, John Horton, stated: “The Harden community was devastated when, on 18th December 2015, the Premier and Minister for Local Government announced that the government had rejected the voluntary merger of Cootamundra and Harden, despite the merger having ticked all the governments boxes and being assessed as ‘Fit for Future’ by IPART.
The government then proposed forcing Harden into a merger with Young and Boorowa.” Mayor of Cootamundra, Jim Slattery, commented: “Like Harden, Cootamundra was equally devastated by the government’s announcement on 18th December 2015. The joint merger proposal between Cootamundra and Harden was the culmination of 18 months of work between the Councils. The voluntary merger proposal had involved extensive community consultation and was supported by 90% of residents in both shires, as evidenced by community surveys” The Mayor of Gundagai, Abb McAlister advised: “From day one Gundagai has asserted its right to stand alone and we have gone down the path of self-improvement and have demonstrated to the government that we are financial sustainable into the long term.
We are supporting the overwhelming view of our residents and ratepayers to stand alone.” Following the last of the public inquiries held in Gundagai last week the three Mayors agreed to make submissions to the NSW Boundaries Commission supporting a Cootamundra-Harden merger and the right of Gundagai to stand alone.
The Mayors also sought the Member for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson, to support the Councils submissions to the NSW Boundaries Commission and to put these merger options before the Minister for Local Government and the parliament. John Horton, Jim Slattery, Abb McAlister.
