Removing the influence of state and federal politics from regional councils is a noble intention, but one that is unlikely to be achieved.
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There’s no doubt it’s much easier out past the sandstone curtain – but so much of what happens in Sydney and Canberra will still make its mark on us out here.
Unfortunately the task is impossible because the state and federal governments are the only forms of government recognised in the nation’s constitution.
A drive for a referendum to add local government to the constitution ran out of steam before the state government started welding local councils together.
It means in NSW that local councils are still at the bidding of the state government of the day – state politicians are the ones which have the ability to amend the NSW Local Government Act.
So much of what the state government was previously responsible for has been shifted onto local government, sometimes they even handed a few extra dollars out to councils to do that job, but that money doesn’t take long to dry up.
Lately, especially in light of forced amalgamations, it seems less like a partnership.
It’s difficult for councils to act apolitically when one political party is offering an escape clause to a forced merger and the other offers bags of cash for much-needed projects.
Councillor Charlie Sheahan offered a way forward to try and strike a balance in this situation, but it got knocked back.
Cr Sheahan rightly points out that a lot of work is going into re-inventing the wheel.
However, if such an easy way out becomes available after the 2019 state elections following a change of government, is it right to throw that work out?
That work which has been done in good faith to create a cohesive community.
There’s no suggestion that council aligns itself with any political party in order to get the best for its residents, but it will mean the mayor and councillors need to play a careful role in future.
The communities of Cootamundra and Gundagai have very different views on the merger – there’s no doubt that those opinions could change in 12 months time.
Betting on a change of government seems a lot like a lottery ticket yet backing the government’s forced mergers seems contrary to some residents’ views.
The next 12 months will be challenging for our councillors.