One Association : But only if its Liberals style

Battle Begins Over One Association

      Liberal MP Gareth Ward has engineered a vote at Shoalhaven Council to have fellow Councillor Amanda Findley stripped of her voting rights on the merger of the rural based Shires Association and the larger, and metropolitan based, Local Government Association.

Clr Findley introduced the One Association motion at the May meeting and was unanimously supported by the Council as one of four delegates to vote on the merger issue, along with Clrs Guile Fergusson and Green.

“It makes sense for Local Government in NSW to have one peak lobbying body not two, but the current structure is poorly thought through and leaves Shoalhaven Council at risk of paying more in fees and have less votes than smaller metropolitan  Councils’. Clr Findley said.

      There has long been speculation that the keenness with which Liberal and National Party aligned Councillors have been supporting the merger is due to the massive advantage the voting rules will give to conservatives in the new Association.

      Larger regional Councils have been devalued in the proposed rules therefore allowing the smaller, but numerically greater number of Shires to dominate.   The result is likely to be a more conservative association with stronger ties to the Coalition.

      'Clr Ward should be acting in the interests of the residents and community of the Shoalhaven and not playing party politics with this.' said Clr Findley. “I put forward a balanced group of Councillors to vote on the issue of amalgamation and he has once again manoeuvred in his conservative mates”.

“Cl Ward wants to sell out the Shoalhaven in favour of the team Liberal project, even though we will de disadvantaged with less votes and likely paying more fees”. Said Clr Findley.