No “rational evidence” exists showing why Wollongong and Shellharbour council should be forced to merge, Kiama MP Gareth Ward told the local government review.
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And Shellharbour City Council, if it had not made a mistake in its financial case, would have been found “Fit for the Future” as a standalone entity, Mr Ward said.
Mr Ward’s submission to the boundaries review is now public and is a thorough demolition of the reasons for a forced merger.
In my 12 years in politics, I have never seen a single issue ignite such a community reaction and opposition.
- Gareth Ward's submission
After the merger decisions were announced Mr Ward was accused of “betraying” Shellharbour and Wollongong by fighting hard just for his own electorate’s main council.
But the submission shows Mr Ward making a strong case why Wollongong and Shellharbour should also stand alone. Step by step his submission shows how:
- The vast majority of residents oppose the forced merger,
- Shellharbour would be judged “fit for the future” had its financial case not included a mistake calculating revenues from waste services,
- Nine of the 10 “heads of consideration” for changing boundaries have not been met, and the other one, the financial case, was shaky,
- The costs of the merger could be three times the savings generated,
- Incorrect financial assumptions cannot be tested because consultants KPMG’s report has been kept secret, and
- More than 200 jobs would be lost.
Mr Ward proposed an alternative redrawing of the boundaries, so that Shellharbour was extended to include Windang, Primbee, Brownsville, Horsley and Kanahooka.
“The proposed merger lacks considerable merit and raises more questions than answer,” he wrote.
“While I support reform of local government, there is no rational evidence to support this proposal which has been roundly rejected by our local community.”
Late on Friday Mr Ward denied the decision to force a merger showed the consultation process was a sham.
He stood by his submission, but said Shellharbour’s council should blame itself, as committing $60 million on the City Hub blew out the council’s debt ratio.
