KOGARAH Council is looking for community feedback on the state government's proposed Fit for the Future amalgamations but is making no bones about its preferred option.
The council wants to go it alone and mayor Michael Platt made it clear ratepayers would be much worse off if the council merged with Hurstville, Rockdale and Canterbury councils, as recommended by the government — or with any combination of the four councils.
He said Kogarah, which had been debt-free for 10 years, would need to support the other councils, each of which had a debt in excess of $7 million.
"Our residents would be burdened by rate increases ranging from $146 to $386 per annum," Cr Platt said.
And while Kogarah had an infrastructure backlog of $1.9 million, Hurstville's was $2.9 million, Rockdale's was $10.7 million and Canterbury's was $17.4 million.
"Kogarah residents would also be exposed to the cost burden of up to $22.5 million in debt and an asset funding gap of up to $18.8 million from day one of any amalgamation," Cr Platt said.
Kogarah also had the lowest operating expenses and the best representation of councillors to population: one councillor to 5000 people, compared with one to about 7000 in Hurstville and Rockdale and one to almost 15,000 in Canterbury.
Cr Platt said the council had demonstrated credibility in all the criteria set by the government to prove it was fit to manage its own affairs, except for population requirements.
Kogarah's population was a little more than 60,000 but if the four councils merged, the population to be managed by one council would exceed 400,000, with a projected 497,500 by 2030.
Cr Platt said if the council was knocked back on its submission to go it alone, its next preferred option was to merge with Hurstville.
The government's Fit for the Future reform program was concerned with the long-term financial viability of the local government sector.
Councils are required to respond by the end of June and the outcomes will be announced in October.
Cr Platt said the council was looking for as much community input as possible.
Residents can complete the survey attached to an information booklet sent to households; visit www.kogarah.nsw.gov.au/fitforthefuture; email fitforthefuture@kogarah.nsw.gov.au; send a letter to Kogarah Council's general manager, Locked Bag 8, Kogarah 2217, or phone 9330 9558.
The council has engaged an independent consultant to undertake a telephone survey.
Would you like to see the St George Councils merge? If so, why?
