That’s the decision looming for Bathurst MP Paul Toole in his role as Minister for Local Government following Fit for the Future submissions from across the state being received by IPART following the June 30 deadline.

In their submissions councils had to show why they should continue to stand alone amid sweeping reform to streamline local government.

Bathurst, Oberon, Blayney, Orange, Cabonne and Lithgow all want the status quo to remain.

However, Mr Toole knows only too well what it is like to feel the amalgamation axe, having served on the former Evans Shire Council when it received the death knell from former Labor Minister for Local Government Tony Kelly.

“That was in April 2004 when we received a fax just before 9am from Mr Kelly telling us we had just been dismissed despite the fact he vowed there would be no forced amalgamations,” Mr Toole said.

But in hindsight, Mr Toole said the decision to amalgamate Bathurst and Evans was of benefit to its residents, despite concerns at the time.

“It allowed for better economies of scale for the new council and that is what Fit for the Future is aiming to achieve,” he said.

Mr Toole said IPART would now look at the Fit for the Future submissions and report back to him by the end of October, making key recommendations.

Former Evans and Bathurst councillor and mayor Norm Mann said amalgamation was the best thing that ever happened to the shire.

“From a financial point of view Evans had a $6 million budget and Bathurst’s was $90-100 million. Suddenly the pool of funds for Evans became a whole lot bigger,” he said.

“It gave a good mix of councillors with Mr Toole and John Byrne being elected to the new Bathurst Regional Council where I was already a serving councillor as deputy under mayor Kath Knowles.”

Mr Mann said that in regard to Oberon being amalgamated with Bathurst, consideration had to be give to Oberon’s ability to stand alone and remain viable in the long term with its current resources.

“That’s the question Minister Toole will be asking himself,” he said. “Consider the fact that Hill End is 85 kilometres from Bathurst and is part of that council area. Oberon is much closer than this to Bathurst ... and so is Blayney.”