THE Greens will support and develop legislation to give Oberon and Cabonne councils the right to vote in a binding plebiscite on demerging, according to Greens candidate for Calare Delanie Sky.
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Ms Sky’s announcement comes as Oberon Council awaits a ruling on its legal action in the Land and Environment Court of NSW against the NSW Government’s proposed forced amalgamation between Oberon and Bathurst.
Oberon’s legal action – which it has taken with Cabonne – officially ended on Monday.
Ms Sky said councils and their residents shouldn’t have to take the NSW Government to court to protect their local democracy from “ugly” plans for mega-councils.
“The Greens have been listening to the needs of regional councils, and we are promising to deliver fairer funding and respect the rights of local communities to control their own futures,” she said.
“This means saying no to forced amalgamations and supporting legislation that gives residents, not politicians, the final say on any proposed amalgamations.
“Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon and local government spokesperson David Shoebridge MLC are providing leadership to ensure local government is delivered constitutional recognition and to give residents the power they need to stand up to [Premier] Mike Baird’s attempts to force council amalgamations.”
Ms Sky said Oberon “was found by IPART [the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal] to be financially strong and sustainable as a stand-alone regional council. There is not a shred of evidence to support its amalgamation with Bathurst”.
Mr Shoebridge and Ms Sky visited Bathurst and Oberon councils yesterday to talk about forced amalgamation and launch the Greens’ plan for local government in the regions.
The NSW Government says its changes to local government, including creating larger councils, will create stronger councils, improve council performance and strengthen the system of local government.
