A meeting held at the Harden District Bowling Club on Monday night has attracted close to 80 people who are interested in raising a petition to see the demerger of Hilltops Council. A motion was raised, seconded and passed within a vote of being unanimous.
Local media made it known to residents that a meeting would be called for Monday night, late last week. The short notice did not prevent residents from attending, with former Harden Shire Councillor and current Hilltops Councillor Matthew Stadtmiller and former Harden Shire Councillor Scott Collins chairing the meeting.
Stadtmiller made it clear that the meeting was designed for those who are pro demerger, before he detailed the part of the local government act which will initiate a proposal for the demerger.
It stated, (1) A proposal may be made by the Minister or it may be made to the Minister by a council affected by the proposal or by an appropriate minimum number of electors.
(2) An appropriate minimum number of electors is–
(a) if a proposal applies to the whole of an area or the proposal is that part of an area be constituted as a new area–250 of the enrolled electors for the existing area or 10 per cent of them, whichever is the greater, or
(b) if a proposal applies only to part of an area–250 of the enrolled electors for that part or 10 per cent of them, whichever is the lesser.
Residents form Harden, Young and Boorowa were in attendance with another meeting called for Wednesday night by the Young Community and Residents Association at the Uniting Church Hall. A register was taken at the meeting to record those who attended so that they could be contacted and kept up to date before another meeting is called.
Stadtmiller said, “We had a great turn out. We hoped for 15 to 20 and we had nearly 80. Some very good questions were asked by the crowd. The feeling is strong, that we have been betrayed by State Government. Steph Cooke should be the first signature on the petition and Brian Ingram number 2 before the rest of the Councillors sign it. The Government must allow a review if we get the signatures.”
Hilltops Mayor Brian told ACM Media on November 28 “I would encourage all residents in the community who are unhappy with amalgamation, and I know there’s a few, to seek out and sign the petition circulating in Harden. I suspect there’ll be one in Young and Boorowa soon also,”
Collins said, “We need just over 1500 signatures. The petition regarding the Joint use library facility attracted over 2200. I think we can get more than that. We have lost local representation and local government has become dysfunctional. Those unhappy with the way things have occurred need to stand up and sign it. Even those who supported the amalgamation in the first place can see it hasn’t worked.”
Steph Cooke has thrown her support behind the residents of Gundagai and their push to demerge. She has previously stated, ‘While I wasn’t the local member at the time of the amalgamation, since my election, I have not let go of this important issue for a moment. My primary concern has always been that the voice of Gundagai was heard and listened to’.
It is now hoped by organisers that Cooke will listen to those constituents who want to demerge in the Hilltops area, along with former Hilltops Administrator Wendy Tuckerman, who has since gone on to become the Member for Goulbourn and who also retains her position on Hilltops Council.
The Hilltops petition comes on the back of petitions by residents and community groups in the Snowy Valleys area, including Tumbarumba and Tumut and Cootamundra and Gundagai.
Both groups have triggered via their petitions, a review of their mergers and the ability for residents to make submissions to the Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock.
