WAKOOL Shire Council residents have given the strongest indication yet that they oppose any plans to merge the municipality with the neighbouring Murray Shire Council.
Current and former councillors joined business owners, ratepayers and community leaders at Barham in condemning the proposed merger at a public hearing into the New South Wales Government-proposed merger attended by around 200 people
None of the more than 30 speakers supported the proposal to form the third-biggest municipality in New South Wales, which would cater for around 11,000 people living between Mathoura and Tooleybuc.
Many speakers went over their allotted three-minute timeslot to express their views to government delegate, Cheryl Thomas, who is investigating the proposal.
“My role is to be impartial. I am not for or against the proposal, I’m just investigating it,” she said.
“I am really keen to find out what people think about this proposal.”
Telephone surveys of Wakool and Murray municipality residents conducted during the past three weeks found that 72 per cent of people opposed the merger.
“This proposal is based on financial errors and out of date data,” Wakool mayor, Cr Neil Gorey said.
“Wakool Shire Council should not be merged because Murray Shire Council was deemed to be unfit.”
Many of those who spoke criticised the proposed merger on the grounds the two municipalities have no shared interests.
“Both shires have a strong agricultural sector, but this is where the similarities end,” Wakool Ratepayers Association representative, Alan Mathers said.
“There are no sporting, community, retail or education links between the two municipalities.”
Another major concern is the potential lack of local representation on the new council, with an expectation the majority of councillors will come from Mathoura and Moama.
“Councillors from the Wakool shire area would have an increased travel time, meaning a reduction of a presence in the community,” Cr Gorey said.
“Even if we have strong local councillors on the new council, they will be no match for the strong urban numbers at Moama,” Murray Downs Advancement Group member, Ken Smith said.
“We are more aligned to areas to the north and west than those in the east and south,” Goodnight resident, Ian Hickey said.
Speakers also focused on the lack of road connection between the neighbouring municipalities, with the only road linking Moama to the shire on the New South Wales side of the Murray River being unsealed.
“There is no direct route between the west of the shire and Moama; there are no good roads; there is no sport or health service between Wakool or Murray shires,” Koraleigh resident, Ron Hoare said.
Former Wakool mayor, Ken Trewin asked for Ms Thomas to release the findings from her investigation before handing a report to the New South Wales Government and the Electoral Commission.
“I ask the delegate to release her findings before handing them to the Minister as there needs to be true consultation on the matter,” he said.
However, Ms Thomas said at the end of the hearing her report will be made public at the same time it is presented to the government and the Electoral Boundaries Commission.
