A HEARING date has been set for the legal challenge that Oberon Council is part-funding against the NSW Government’s forced council amalgamations.
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The action was filed in the Land and Environment Court on April 18 and a hearing date has been set for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24 and 25.
Walcha, Oberon and Cabonne councils have united to mount the legal challenge based on a claim that the Minister for Local Government misused Sections 218F of the Local Government Act to implement proposed forced amalgamations and that the subsequent Boundaries Commission process was procedurally inadequate and unfair.
Eminent Sydney barrister Peter King has offered to act pro bono for the united rural council challenge.
The councils say the offer is an extremely generous gesture and that as a result the legal costs to each council will be minimal.
The councils said that with the deadline for the decision on proposed mergers fast approaching, they were left with few options.
They say they feel comfortable with endorsing court action.
Meanwhile, Oberon anti-amalgamation campaigners have been distributing flyers to Bathurst residents explaining the disadvantages of the proposed forced council merger between the communities.