Greens hold meeting about amalgamation

The Central Coast Greens have hosted a public meeting in Woy Woy to assist residents to gain a better understanding of the council amalgamation process.

The meeting, held at the Woy Woy CWA hall on Friday, February 5, included a presentation and then discussion on aspects of the amalgamation, including a review of the figures provided by KMPG to the State Government, rates, community representation, and preparation of written submissions.

A question and answer session followed to guide those attending through the amalgamation process.

The meeting also included a short workshop on how to prepare a submission for the Council Boundary Review Panel.

Gosford's Cr Hillary Morris, Cr Vicki Scott and Cr Jim MacFadyen presented at the event and answered questions from the floor.

The NSW Greens planning and environment law officer Mr Ed McMahon provided advice regarding the financial details of the merger proposal.

Issues discussed during the two-hour session included: decision-making by council during the merger proposal period; financial analysis of the current merger proposal; the impact on community representation; the long-term impact on rates; costs versus benefits.

Detailed information regarding the merger proposals can be found on the Local Government NSW website which includes the Outline of Financial Modelling Assumptions for Local Government Merger Proposals.

Media release, 1 Feb 2016

Justine Suthers, Central Coast Greens