The session was hosted by the Independent Local Government Review Panel (ILGRP) and was held at the Gloucester Soldiers Club 

Great Lakes Mayor Jan McWilliams, Councillors Karen Hutchinson, Carol McCaskie, Tony Summers, Len Roberts and John Weate and general manager Glen Handford all attended the meeting which discussed several issues facing regional councils.

The discussion was facilitated by Jude Munro one of the authors of the ILGRP’s discussion paper ‘Future Directions for NSW Local Government’ released last month. 

The paper proposes NSW regional councils amalgamate to form “around 20 new-look, multi-purpose County Councils.” 

Under the proposal Great Lakes Council (GLC) would merge with Greater Taree City Council (GTCC) and Gloucester Shire Council (GSC) to form the Mid Coast County Council with Taree pinpointed as the “major regional centre.”

Ms Munro said that the proposed amalgamations were not about money, and were aimed at capacity building to ensure the long-term viability of local government. Ms Munro also said that councils who elected to merge would receive incentives from the state government and that employee protections would be covered by the Local Government Act if councils chose to pursue the County Council model.

Despite the assurances, GLC general manager Glen Handford sees little incentive for GLC to adopt the County Council model.

“My view is that we’ve worked extremely hard and diligently to get to the position we’re in, so unless there are clear and obvious benefits I can’t see that we could entertain a merger.” 

Mr Handford said that several other issues were also discussed at the meeting and that these issues would form the basis of council’s formal submission to the panel. Submissions close on June 28.

Residents who attended the public session were also vocally against the proposed mergers.

“At the moment Great Lakes is in the black. Greater Taree is massively in the red to the tune of millions of dollars and Gloucester is also now in the red,” Gloucester resident Don Readford said.

“For two councils to be joined that are in the red is the most ludicrous idea I’ve ever heard.”