URALLA and Guyra residents have turned out in force to voice their concerns on their respective councils’ responses to the Fit for the Future recommendations.
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About 600 residents and ratepayers packed into Uralla Bowling Club to show the state government they were adamant about continuing as a standalone shire.
Meeting organiser Bob Barwell said the event showed support to the council should it submit a preference to standalone.
The Uralla shire mayor and deputy mayor spoke to the audience, as did NSW Farmers representative David Mailler.
The floor was opened to members of the public to speak and Mr Barwell said “all were absolutely opposed to a amalgamation”.
“They were adamantly against anything to do with a merger with Armidale Dumaresq Council,” he said.
“Uralla is a viable council – and they have been running well as an independent council.”
Mr Barwell said there was some sympathy for a merger with Walcha if forced amalgamations happened.
He also said there was a sense that councils could be working more closely, with a number of resources and services already existing between councils. Uralla Shire Council will have an extraordinary meeting on Monday evening where councillors are set to resolve their preferences for the Fit for the Future response, with members of the public invited to attend.
Meanwhile, Guyra residents also expressed very strong feelings toward remaining an independent rural council.
Mayor Hans Hietbrink was present at the public meeting along with about 200 residents, who expressed a desire to avoid merging with Armidale Dumaresq Council under any circumstances.
“The view was the decision would be in favour of Armidale Dumaresq Council, and there were concerns Guyra would be swallowed up and not have representation in that scenario,” Cr Hietbrink said.
Guyra Shire Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday and the mayor said the concerns put forward at the public meeting would shape the coun-cil’s response to IPART’s recommendations.
While there was a very strong push to keep Guyra a standalone council, Cr Hietbrink said if the government did force amalgamations, a merger with Walcha, Uralla, Armidale Dumaresq and Guyra would see greater balance between rural and urban needs of the communities.
