Maitland City Council would have effectively absorbed Dungog Shire Council if the state government acted on the recommendations of an independent delegate who was charged with examining the merger proposal between the councils.
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The merged council would have been named Maitland City Council and the ward system would be scrapped, according to the recommendations, meaning there would be no guarantee that any future councillors would have come from the current Dungog Shire.
The report, compiled by Dr Ian Tiley and presented to the NSW Local Government Minister of the day Paul Toole last April, has been made available online.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced earlier this month the state government would abandon pending council merger proposals in regional NSW, including in the Hunter where several amalgamation plans had been floated.
Dr Tiley's report noted that the new Maitland City Council should have a popularly-elected mayor and an administration centre and works depot would be maintained in the former Dungog local government area.
The report dealt with issues including financial implications, communities of interest, geographic cohesion, historical and traditional values, attitudes of residents and service delivery.
Dr Tiley wrote that the Maitland-Dungog plan should go ahead because the financial advantages outweighed the disadvantages.
“[Dungog Shire Council] has significant financial problems and is disadvantaged through lack of scale and capacity and would benefit by having a financially sound and larger merger partner in [Maitland City Council],” Dr Tiley wrote.
“A new merged, larger council is considered a more optimal solution.
“While there may be some short term challenges, a new council will develop greater financial strength and capacity to benefit the broad communities it would represent.”
Dr Tiley also noted that a Port Stephens and Dungog Shire merger would have “merit”, but another delegate had been charged with investigating that proposal.
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