Seven of the region’s councils were judged “unfit” for the future as part of IPART assessments under the state government’s contentious local government reform process.

The clock is now ticking on a 30-day period in which councils can respond to the findings.

Gwydir Shire mayor John Coulton says his council, despite failing the IPART test, is committed to remaining autonomous and will be “going all out” in its bid to win its argument with the government.

“There’s a strong determination to stand alone ... and we have a mandate from our ratepayers – that has not changed,” he said.

Cr Coulton said all they could do now was go back to the department and outline all the additional things Gwydir Shire Council did for its community, that other councils didn’t.

This includes a role in the provision of aged care in Warialda and Bingara, health and educational services, and training and assessment opportunities for people in the community.

A forced merger, Cr Coulton said, would put all those services at risk, and threaten a certain number of jobs within the current council, which has 150 full-time equivalent positions.

He said they were urging other councils across the state to speak to their local members about the importance of maintaining councils in regional and rural areas, and believes this will be an acid test for The Nationals.

“The pressure is on the National party to stop involuntary mergers,” Cr Coulton said.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has said he will support whatever stand the councils in his electorate wish to take, and while Cr Coulton welcomed his support, he said it had to come from the whole party.

“We want a commitment from The Nationals that they’ll stand up for their constituents,” he said.

“There is a need to go political now and if (The Nationals) don’t stand up and show some backbone, they will lose membership and support – they can still stop this.”