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THE fates of the region’s 13 councils now rest with an independent panel, after the deadline for lodging their “Fit for the Future” submissions passed yesterday.
Most of the state’s 152 councils have spent the past few months frantically compiling their arguments for remaining as stand-alone entities in the years ahead.
The Baird government has tasked the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) with assessing all the submissions over the coming months.
Councils are expected to learn in October whether their financial outlook is considered robust enough to be declared “fit” against a series of criteria.
NSW Local Government Minister Paul Toole remains vague on what will happen to councils deemed “unfit”, however, he has refused to rule out forced amalgamations.
Tamworth Regional Council meets five of the seven criteria against which every council will be assessed and has plans in place to address the outstanding two.
With the council certain to be declared “fit for the future”, the biggest threat to its financial stability appears to be being lumped with an underperforming council.
Councillor James Treloar, who witnessed the struggle the council endured in the years after the 2004 round of mergers, said the Baird government needed to be careful not to burden the better-performing councils.
“If they’re going to put some more ‘unfit for the future’ parts of the state into this particular area, what comes with it?” he said.
“I don’t want to suddenly find that we’ve been attached to somebody that has another 13 to 15 timber bridges that need to be repaired, or another village that hasn’t got water.
“Whilst I’m delighted with the position we’re in, I’d also like to remind the state government that if you don’t put something else into our area that isn’t fit for the future, what’s the carrot that comes with it?”
While all of the region’s councils have vowed to remain independent, there are some that are already feeling the pressure to merge.
Gwydir Shire Council was shocked to receive a letter from Mr Toole in April strongly suggesting its representatives consider a merger with Moree Plains Shire Council.
However, Gwydir – and other underperforming councils – will be hoping its involvement in resource-sharing programs with stronger councils will shield it from the threat of merger.