Residents on the northern side of Botany Bay have sent a strong message to the state government they don’t want their council merged with Rockdale Council.
The vote in a plebiscite conducted on Saturday by Botany Bay City Council produced a massive ‘No’ vote to the merger question.
Of the first 7000 votes counted, 98 per cent were opposed.
Botany Bay Council takes in suburbs such as Banksmeadow, Botany, Mascot and Pagewood, has run a strong campaign against amalgamation.
Instead of a merger with Rockdale, it wants to expand into parts of the City of Sydney and Randwick council areas, which it has stated “share a common social interest”.
The community poll was held a day before the February 28 deadline for submissions to the Boundaries Commission inquiry on the proposed merger.
Government delegate Rod Nockles, who conducted the inquiry, said he would accept the results of the poll if they were submitted by March 3.
Voting in the community poll was not compulsory.
Mr Nockles will recommend to Local Government Minister Paul Toole whether the Botany Bay-Rockdale merger should go ahead, be abandoned or a minor variation made.
