A "super council" would not function in the west and more honesty from the state government about the Fit for the Future reforms is needed, according to Mayor Bill McAnally.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Earlier this week the media reported the State Government would be sacking all councils across NSW and offering councillors the chance to be elected into a "super council" reducing the number of councils in NSW.
Cr McAnally firmly believes this can't happen and if it does he believes there will be change in Government.
"I don't think it can possibly happen," he said.
"(If they do) there will certainly be a change in government and an inquiry into the state government."
Local Government NSW president Keith Rhodes believes the creation of "super councils" would be an outrage.
"It would be an outrageous breach of faith and completely ignore the rights of residents and ratepayers who elected their councillors to represent their wishes for the future of their communities," he said.
Local Government Minister Paul Toole shot down the allegations when speaking to Fairfax Media on Monday.
"But sack all the councils and they'll have a blue on their hands,"
- Bill McAnally
"The government has no such plan to dismiss all councils in NSW. We are undertaking much needed reform of local government in this state," he said.
"As part of that reform an independent tribunal is assessing individual councils' fitness for the future."
Mr Toole said the sector was looking for reforms.
"We have no set number of councils we want to end up with. However NSW has twice as many councils as Victoria and Queensland who have 70 each," he said.
"NSW is the last state to move towards reform in local government. We will have to wait for the report in October, bit it's clear this sector is calling for change and will need a reform."
Cr McAnally hopes the state government will learn from the reform process in the other states.
"Queensland has had de-amalgamations and Western Australia has pulled out of their reforms," he said.
Cr Rhodes agrees.
"This is the same minister who has claimed amalgamations will drive down douncil rates, when we know from the Queensland and Victorian experience that this is not borne out by evidence," he said.
Cr McAnally hopes the state government will reveal its plans for local government in the near future.
"At the end of the day we want honesty," he said.
"But sack all the councils and they'll have a blue on their hands."
The Independent Review is meant to be handed down in October and the State Government reforms are set to be announced at the end of the month.
