The Maitland mayor says he will not support proposed changes to state law that would mean councils do not have to print important public information in local newspapers.
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The change to the Local Government Act, being discussed in Parliament, would mean councils across NSW would no longer be required to print notices about vacant senior staff positions, legal notices and proposals to sell land.
If the changes are approved, it would be up to each council to decide whether to continue to use printed public notices or other communication channels, such as the internet.
The amendment is designed to cut red tape and save councils money.
But Cr Peter Blackmore said it would be a backwards step for the relationship between Maitland City Council and ratepayers if the notices were not printed in local newspapers.
He said he would be surprised if the changes passed through Parliament.
But if they did, Cr Blackmore said he would not support bringing the changes to Maitland.
“One of the biggest problems and complaints we receive is people saying they don’t know about things that are happening,” he said.
“[Notifications] can be done online, but it has been recognised for years that they should go in regional papers.
“There are people out there who rely on the print media to be aware of what local government is doing.”
The state opposition has expressed concern about the changes.
Labor candidate for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said all levels of government needed to be accountable.
“We need to ensure that everyone is told what is going on in their community: water restrictions, categorisation of lands of significance and other planning decisions,” she said.
“Most importantly mandating the information channel means that people know where to go to get information.
“We all get so much information these days that it can be hard to know where to go to get accurate and factual information about what is happening with local developments.
“Mandatory advertising in local newspapers ensures everyone knows where to find information about council decisions and planning processes.”