Labor candidate for Bathurst Cassandra Coleman has regularly returned to the question of amalgamations as she tackles the huge task of trying to unseat the Nationals’ Paul Toole. But while it is an issue that might win votes in smaller centres like Lithgow and Oberon, it is not going to win Ms Coleman much traction in Bathurst itself.

Simply, the spectre of council amalgamations holds no fears in Bathurst because the region has already been through it. And most would agree that it has been a successful transition, particulary for the villages of the former Evans shire.

Fears that villages would lose their identities have proven unfounded, and Bathurst Regional Council’s dedicated villages improvement program is pouring more money into the smaller centres than would ever have been possible in the Evans days.

Bathurst’s experience also weakens Ms Coleman’s suggestion that the Coalition is being secretive on the issue, because it was a Labor government that forced the amalgamation of Bathurst and Evans – with no prior warning.

At least the Coaliton can say it was true to its word when it said before the 2011 election that there would be no forced amalgamations – in this term of government, at least.

Leading up to 2015, though, the rhetoric has changed dramatically and it’s now no secret that the government plans to rationalise council numbers if it wins another term. As Mr Toole said in a previous interview, they’ve shown councils the carrot and now it’s time to produce the stick.

Councils have been given plenty of time, and plenty of incentives, to form their own mergers.

That strategy has been a failure, so it’s time for a new approach.