COROWA Council wants a meeting with the NSW Local Government Minister before deciding on its next step in responding to a planned merger with Urana and Lockhart shires.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Mayor Paul Miegel said the council remained surprised at the proposed three-way tie-up unveiled by minister Paul Toole earlier this month.
"We're a little bit puzzled and bewildered by the proposal, so we need to get further clarification and from there we will make our determination," Cr Miegel said.
He said it was hoped a joint meeting of Corowa, Urana and Lockhart mayors and general managers could be arranged with Mr Toole, a former Bathurst mayor.
Urana and Lockhart are holding special meetings to respond to the merger plan.
Lockhart mayor Peter Yates said his council was keen to stay independent and a resolution with that goal would be put to a January 11 meeting.
"We want to be a stand-alone council and we're going to try and work hard for that," Cr Yates said.
He called a merger with Corowa "comical", saying the areas had little in common.
"They're more on the tourism, lifestyle and light industry side of things and we're predominantly farming and a long, long way away," Cr Yates said.
Urana mayor Pat Bourke said his council would meet on January 5 to discuss a resolution which is likely to reinforce his shire's preference for a merger with Corowa.
He questioned Lockhart's ability to continue as a stand-alone council, because even if it incorporated parts of the existing Urana and Wagga local government areas it would still not meet a population benchmark of 10,000.
Jerilderie Council is also weighing up its fate after it was recommended it be abolished and its northern section being taken in by Murrumbidgee Shire and the southern zone merged with Berrigan Shire.
"In an ideal world if you were going to be merged you would have liked to stay as a whole entity," Jerilderie mayor Ruth McRae said.
"We had no idea they would carve us up and that left a bad taste in our mouth.
"It was very rude, that proposal had never been put to us."
Cr McRae hoped a merger workshop being held in Wagga by the Office of Local Government on January 15 would address timeframes, representation and jobs.
