“Today’s tabling of the Local Government Reform Steering Committee report by the Minister

contains what can only be described as a host of recommendations to assist him in

 furthering his quest to force local government amalgamations,” Mr Trenorden said.

 

“I find it particularly interesting that the Minister’s media statement completely misrepresents

the report as coming from a parliamentary committee in what is clearly an attempt to

promote some degree of legitimacy.”

 

Mr Trenorden said it was also worth noting that a number of the key recommendations were

reached only by a simple majority, which suggests dissention within the Steering Committee

on some of its most critical findings.

 

“The clear message from my detailed examination of Australian local government models,

particularly the South Australian regional subsidiary model, is that amalgamation needs to be

based on geographical, cultural, economic, environmental and financial compatibility,” he

said.

 

“Minister Castrilli’s clear move to force amalgamations ignores the fact that if poorly suited

councils are forced to join, the result will be just as disastrous as the current model.”

Mr Trenorden said councils like Murchison are likely to be far more viable than councils like

Melville because the primary purpose they have is to maintain roads.

 

“Moreover, these councils have a budget to spend and when it’s spent, that’s it,” he said.

“In a council like Melville, for example, there is raft of other planning and social issues which

mean its survival would be made more challenging without Commonwealth grants.”

 

While the report does talk about collaboration, Mr Trenorden said the South Australian

approach shows that over the years, councils may well have good reason to move in and

out of different groupings to meet the changing needs of their communities and regions.

“Outer Adelaide is a perfect example,” he said.

“There are a number of councils that havechanged their focus in recent years from waste management and environmental issues to planning for high residential growth. "Their priorities have changed," he said. "But clearly Minister Castrilli's haven't."

For more information please contact Hon Max Trenorden on 9622 2871 or 0428 222 871