For Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, news his council would not merge with Shellharbour did not prompt jubilant celebration.
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Instead, it was cause for relief and pragmatism, as he quickly turned his thoughts to the work the council would need to catch up on after months in limbo.
“It’s a monkey off my back really, and at last we can get on with the business of council,” he said, wryly.
“You couldn’t have organised a better botch up.”
“This period of indecision has just caused so much grief, and as far as I’m concerned it’s great that it’s over [because] if it was going to go ahead there was going to be a stretch out period of indecision.”
He said the council would need to begin work on its next five year plan, and set a budget for the 2017/18 financial year.
Since the merger was announced, the council’s power over large financial decisions has been limited.
Cr Bradbery would not say if he planned to stand for re-election in September, instead saying he would spend the next few months focusing on the welfare of the city.