Take back from the State Government our Municipalities

The new state government’s 10/50 tree clearing policy is being abused in most municipalities all over NSW and was applied by the state by stealth and with no consultation along with many other disastrous policies such as their abysmal planning system etc. The state government’s cost shifting onto your Council rates has been gaining momentum for the last decade with the heavy increases in Electricity Street lighting costs, general levies, SES and fire brigade levies. All have been weighing heavily on your rate notices, as do the state government’s rate pegging controls on councils.

For the past decade the state government has strangled the powers of councils in many ways to make a small amount of councils become financially unsustainable with the intention to taking full control of all councils in NSW with a “one size fits all” policy. The leading NSW politicians keep on telling us they are trying to make this a better state.

The state government has been making councils ineffectual for eventual takeovers, mergers or amalgamations, into a smaller number of mega councils all over NSW forming a second echelon of state bureaucracy. This is now becoming a reality with a black cloud hanging over our heads. I believe they intend to take control and swamp “yes minister candidates” with their political donations into the forthcoming elections in two years time which will be worse than the last council elections if there are any. This will make it impossible for keen interested local people who love their area and homeland to support, guide and advise local government or to have a say on how we live and protect our quality of life.  

No one can say “bigger is better”. However, the state government thinks fewer councils will give them a greater control and less people to talk to with power to force and restrict what you can say and do. I notice the opposition is very quiet on all these subjects and we may need to dig them up and to know what their policies are well before the next State elections in March next year to stop the rorts and save NSW and its local municipalities from a disastrous future.