State Member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson has broken what many community members have seen as a public silence to visit our town and declare her support for the merger of Cootamundra and Harden.
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She was a surprise guest at a meeting with Boundaries Commission delegate John Turner held at the Ex Services Club on Thursday, February 4.
About 100 people turned up to a meeting, most to loudly support a merger between Cootamundra and Harden, as declared ‘Fit for the Future’ by the State Government.
Cootamundra Shire Councillor Paul Braybrooks delivered a compelling 15-minute submission on why the Cootamundra and Harden merger works, all the while accepting of the fact that should the government force a merger between Cootamundra and Gundagai, Cootamundra would be willing to work with Gundagai.
“The KPMG figures seem to show the new merged council will still have an operating deficit in 2019/20 and bluntly we suspect will still be financially unsustainable for many years to come,” Cr Braybrooks said.
He argued the tyranny of distance would mean a merged Cootamundra and Gundagai council would still require two offices, two depots, two separate work crews, two separate parks and garden crews and two separate water and sewer crews.
Cr Braybrooks pointed to the lack of current interaction between Gundagai and Cootamundra.
“There are few specific communities of interest and there is minimal business crossover, with Gundagai businesses primarily using either Tumut of Wagga Wagga for major banking, legal advice, accounting, and other professional contact, rather than Cootamundra,” Cr Braybrooks said.
Twenty members of the public took the opportunity to address the delegate verbally at the meeting.
Each person was restricted to three minutes to speak.
Resident Ros Burge spoke of the process saying a forced amalgamation would create “one large, unhappy shire”.
“How can rates be equitably shared when there are such diverse interests in the two council areas,” Mrs Burge said.
Charlie Sheahan spoke as a resident calling the government’s handing of the amalgamation process “an attack on democratic rights”.
“Cootamundra, Harden and Gundagai are all facing forced mergers in direct conflict to a promise made during the campaign there would be no forced amalgamations,” Mr Sheahan said.
Daryl Sedgwick harked to Gundagai’s firm stance to stand alone and not be merged with anyone.
“A forced merger has the potential to create a ‘them and us’ mentality,” Mr Sedgwick said.
Cootamundra Shire Councillor Mary Donnelly also addressed the meeting a local resident.
“At every turn Cootamundra has more than complied with the instructions of the State Government,” Cr Donnelly said.
“We had the community support we needed and did everything to engage with Harden. We have so much more in common with Harden, than we do with Gundagai,” Cr Donnelly said.
When Ms Hodgkinson arrived at the meeting, she was given the same three minute time limit as all other residents.
She expressly stated her support for the merger of Cootamundra and Harden, the merger of Young and Boorowa and said Gundagai should be left to stand alone, as per their wishes.
She said now the process is at the stage of delegate meetings, she will endeavour to get to as many as possible, including attending Gundagai directly after Cootamundra’s meeting.
Ms Hodgkinson confirmed she has had the ear of Minister for Local Government Paul Toole on several occasions, enforcing the wishes of the communities affected by amalgamation and her support to adhere to their wishes.
Should Cootamundra and Harden not be allowed to amalgamate, Cr Braybrooks introduced a second option at the meeting, which the shire has backed up in their written submission.
He submitted that as an alternative, it may be possible to incorporate the area of the present Harden Shire south of Cunningham and Jugiong Creeks into the Cootamundra and Gundagai merged council, if that proceeds.
Cr Braybrooks said this would add approximately 500 residents and $600,000 in rate income to Cootamundra and Gundagai.
Cr Braybrooks reiterated council is not opposed to a three-way merger between Cootamundra, Gundagai and Harden.
Anyone who could not attend the meeting and wishes to have a voice on the merger can do so in writing until 5pm, Sunday February 28.
Submissions can be made at www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au or to: Council Boundary Review, GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001.
