It’s official. The greatly disputed Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby Council merger is no longer going ahead. Yesterday, Premier Gladys Berjiklian made the announcement that all proposed council merges have been taken off the table by the NSW Government. The decision ends what has been a long period of uncertainty for the Ku-ring-gai community following its court victory appealing the proposed forced merger with Hornsby Shire.
Ku-ring-gai Mayor, Jennifer Anderson, has said she was pleased with the announcement by the government and to be remaining as a standalone Council.
“The Premier indicated that she would listen to people on Council mergers but it took the win by our Council in the Court of Appeal, the threat of a High Court decision with Woollahra Council and a backlash at the Local Government election to really call a halt to this deeply unpopular policy that affects local communities across the North Shore and beyond,” Mayor Anderson says.
Ku-ring-gai is considered a high performing, large metropolitan Council that is future thinking and financially sustainable with a population of 120 000 residents. Those residents can now be assured that they will continue to be represented by Councillors who live in the Ku-ring-gai area.
Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea, has also welcomed the NSW Government’s decision not to proceed with those proposed council mergers recently before the courts.
“The decision to maintain the status quo will bring a renewed stability to the councils in advance of the September Local Government elections,” says Mr O’Dea.
“These Councils will no longer be distracted by legal action and can fully focus on delivering for their local communities,” he continued, “My recent Davidson electorate survey results indicate the NSW Government decision is now consistent with apparent Ku-ring-gai community feeling.”
Regarding council amalgamations, 53 per cent of all survey respondents were revealed as not in favour, while 35 per cent supported merges and the remaining 12 per cent were unsure.
In comparison, three quarters of the Northern Beaches Council area were in favour of the local council merger that has already occurred.
“The council mergers on the Northern Beaches have clearly resulted in substantial community benefits, but each geographic area can be different,” concluded Mr O’Dea.
