LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OWNER AND HARDEN SHIRE COUNCILLOR MATTHEW STADTMILLER IS DISGUSTED AT THE TREATMENT HANDED TO HIS LOCAL COMMUNITY BY PAUL TOOLE AND MIKE BAIRD. THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS ONLY PLACING AN ADVERTISEMENT IN ONE ‘LOCAL’ PAPER. THE PAPER IT WILL BE APPEARING IN  IS THE FAIRFAX OWNED HARDEN EXPRESS, WHOSE OFFICE IS NOT BASED IN HARDEN SHIRE.

The farcical nature of the forced amalgamations saga continues.

The Twin Town Times were informed on Tuesday, January 19, that they would not be receiving the NSW state government’s advertisement regarding the public inquiry to be held at the Harden Country Club on February 5.

They were told that independent advice had been sought and that the call had been made to only advertise the meeting in one of the local papers. The local paper in question is the Fairfax-owned Harden Express, based out of Cootamundra and without an office or shop front in the Harden Shire.

It is yet another kick in the guts to the people of Harden Shire who are well aware of the popularity of the 2 year old independent run by Harden Shire Councillor, Matthew Stadtmiller.

Stadtmiller said, “The state government really aren’t in touch with the people in the community. Obviously the decision came from east of the Great Dividing Range and not from anyone who might actually know what is happening in the Harden Shire. The large amount of money the advertisement would bring our small independent newspaper is totally irrelevant. I’m disgusted that this government has the audacity to treat us this way and not inform the community properly. I will be printing the advertisement as large as I can in the paper and not receive any payment for it. If anyone wants to dispute the circulation figures they should ask for the invoices for printing for both papers and have a look at the numbers printed and sold in the Shire. If they want to see for themselves, they can come and have a look at the size of the piles out the front of the Harden Newsagency at 4am in the morning on Thursday.”

“It’s time New South Wales woke up to the shabby treatment being dished out. Paul Toole and Mike Baird should have the term ‘Honourable’ stripped from their titles, they are not ‘Honourable’ men, they will go down in history as the two blokes who stuffed this great state.”

“We are the centre of the best wheat growing land in Australia. 2016 Dakar Rally Champion Toby Price’s father John Price grew up here. We’re a pretty famous little town that is being treated like we are worthless and our community doesn’t matter.”

“It sounds like they don’t want many people at the meeting on February 5 at the Harden Country Club. First you have to register to attend the meeting and get inside and then you have to register to speak. Both my grand fathers didn’t go off to World War 2 to have our democracy pissed down the toilet by these two clowns, Toole and Baird. 90% of the Harden population surveyed wanted to merge with Cootamundra. The amalgamation of the ‘Hilltop’ Council and the Shires of Harden, Boorowa and Young will be forced and will be dysfunctional and disruptive for years, if not ever. The state government is undertaking a divide and conquer regime. The Harden and Cootamundra merger deal was the only voluntary merger whose community wholeheartedly agreed with and who ticked all of the ‘Fit For The Future’ boxes. The process has been madness and a farce.

“Next chance the voters get they should vote with their feet. We have been deserted by the National Party in the bush and the Liberals just don’t get it!”

Meeting Set For Hilltops Merger Proposal At Harden Country Club