Dungog Shire Council has taken a crucial step toward a merger with Maitland City Council through a unanimous
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
resolution.
The Dungog councillors voted last week in favour of talks with Maitland to determine what a merger would involve, given its untenable position.
“We have to be well informed so we can talk to the residents,” the mayor of Dungog, Cr Harold Johnston, said.
“It’s not about going to Maitland council and saying ‘we’re ready to go’.”
Dungog council had a $51.9 million works backlog in 2012 and NSW Treasury Corporation rated its financial standing as weak in 2013.
“I don’t think we can demonstrate that we are fit for the future on our own,” Cr Johnston said.
The state’s 152 council’s have until June 30 to respond to the Fit for the Future program.
The program was implemented in response to the independent local government review that recommended mergers, among other measures, to make councils more viable.
The state government will provide any council that investigates a merger with a share of $13 million, which is designed to help with any associated costs of such discussions.
“The consultation between our councils will cost money and we’re very busy so they will have to make some money available for that,” Cr Johnston said.
“This [resolution] is just to get ourselves informed.
“It’s a community decision [to merge] that has to be led by councillors.”
Maitland council has maintained that Dungog would need to make the first step in a potential merger.
Any meeting between the councils would not be likely to happen until February or March.
Port Stephens and Singleton councils have indicated they are not interested in a merger with Dungog.
