There’s been talk of a takeover and a public war of words between two cities’ mayors, and now Shellharbour is attempting to draw battle lines around its “threatened” northern border.
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At Tuesday night’s meeting, the council will attempt to place an interim heritage order around some of the properties along Wollongong’s border line. This would “protect the historic integrity of the local government area which is under imminent threat as a result of the current merger proposal by the state government”.
According to a report prepared by council staff, the request for the heritage order came from a resident on February 16 and is based on the idea that Shellharbour is “one of the oldest cities which has virtually maintained its original boundaries in NSW”.
The boundaries were proclaimed on June 4, 1859 and have “remained largely intact and unchanged since that date”.
The imaginary Wollongong proof fence would only affect 19 private properties along the border of the two cities, as the council is unable to make an order affecting public lands.
Councillors will vote whether to progress the interim order on Tuesday, and will then have six months to prepare a local environmental plan listing the heritage item.
It is unclear whether the order would have the power to stop a merger from going ahead, as staff also note “the minister may revoke an interim heritage order made by the council”.
