Sweeping changes are planned for councils across NSW as part of the government’s Fit for the Future program to reform the ailing local government sector.

While Premier Mike Baird has previously said there would be no forced mergers as part of the changes, Local Government Minister Paul Toole has refused to rule out the possibility of forced mergers if the government is re-elected.

Maitland City Council and Dungog Shire Council have recently begun talks about the possibility of joining to form one entity. Both councils have been adamant that there is a long way to go in the decision-making process.

They may decide that a merger is not favourable.

But Maitland would most likely be the loser if the state government forces the councils’ hands.

Elected representatives from this city have made tough decisions in recent times to ensure Maitland can be financially viable as a sole entity into the future. 

The measure that has drawn the most criticism from the community is the seven year annual rate rise that began last year.

Having gone through the pain of making that unpopular decision, ratepayers would no doubt be left scratching their heads if Maitland merged with Dungog, a shire which has a $42 million road infrastructure backlog and has not kept up with annual recommended rate rises for several years.

But there is little doubt that Dungog needs help and if Maitland doesn’t come to the rescue, then who will?

This will likely form a key part of merger discussions in the coming months.

How much choice Maitland and Dungog have in the final decision remains to be seen.

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