Oberon Council has until noon this Friday to lodge an appeal in the Supreme Court against a decision handed down last Friday by the Land and Environment Court rejecting its challenge to the proposed merger by the NSW Government with Bathurst Regional Council.
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Amusingly, Oberon Shire has played a very cunning strategy in challenging the merger, as the council is not spending its ratepayers’ money.
Instead, it will be the merged council’s responsibility to pay the legal fees of the loser.
So the non-aggressor, that is Bathurst Regional Council ratepayers, being the stronger financial entity, will get to “carry the can”.
I’ve said it before: I’m not sure the groom (Bathurst Regional Council) will get a very attractive bride (Oberon Council), as around 40 per cent of the Oberon Shire, which encompasses Forestry Corporation land and national parks, does not currently pay rates.
While I appreciate the proposed dowry of $15 million or so may be attractive, I think this could be consumed by road repairs after the last winter, so little or no legacy infrastructure will be built from the dowry.
It has been suggested by one wag that Bathurst ratepayers may get better “value out of 10 cows and five goats” as a dowry.
Some changes at the top
AS predicted in recent columns, changes are happening within the executive of Bathurst Regional Council.
Last year we saw the director of planning and environmental services, David Shaw, resign. That position has still not been filled.
Now the director of engineering services, Doug Patterson, has resigned too, finishing up in November.
Interest will focus too on who Minister for Local Government Paul Toole appoints as administrator of a merged Bathurst and Oberon entity. Generally, the minister has appointed administrators from a list of delegates who completed reviews of individual councils identified as merger opportunities.
It will be interesting to see whether that happens on this occasion.
It will also be interesting to see who gets the gig as general manager on the merged council.
What does a guest cost?
BATHURST Regional Council recently hosted its annual Bizweek business lunch, attended by around 200 business owners.
Guest of honour was Mark Bouris, a very successful and high profile entrepreneur, who I hear was an excellent speaker.
Just as well, though, as my spies tell me the guest of honour was paid around $20,000 appearance money to take one day out of his life and come to Bathurst.
If my maths is correct, Bathurst Regional Council, which is forever espousing its economic virtues, lost a considerable amount of money on this spin exercise.
I’m sure these funds could have been better used constructing new barbecue facilities at the Sportsground.
Thumbs up
THE second-largest crowd of 204,000 on the Mount for the Bathurst 1000.
Thumbs down
COUNCIL paying around $20,000 appearance money to a business identity to headline the Bizweek lunch. Surely these funds could be better spent?
