22 December 2015

From the Editor

With the shock announcement of the proposed forced amalgamation of

Kiama and Shoalhaven councils, Kiama Council has worked together with The Bugle

to bring you this special edition.

The Council is acting as guest editor for this edition, and is responsible for the content.

The BugleThe BugleThe BugleThe Bugle Special edition from Kiama Council

No forced annexation for Kiama

A call to action for our community

Council is shocked that the

State Government is propos-

ing the merger of Kiama

Municipality with the City

of Shoalhaven. This proposal

has not been on anyones

agenda, has not been

discussed at any level of

government and is certainly not in the interests

of the residents of our municipality.

We are bringing you this special edition of

The Bugle because we want you to know why this

issue is important for you and your familys future.

State politicians are relying on apathy and the busy

holiday season to push these reforms through. They

dont know how strong our community is and how

we are prepared to fight for what we believe in.

Kiama Council has cooperated at all stages of the

State Governments Fit for the Future program

(see p4) and notes that at every stage, from

the Independent Local Government Review through

to the IPART report, this proposed merger has not

been a key issue. In fact, even in the proposed

merger summary put out by the government, the

following statement is made:

The Independent Review Panel did not identify

this as a high priority merger on the basis of a

number of factors including that each council ap-

peared sustainable for at least the medium term.

Although the IPART Report suggested Kiama did

not meet all of the criteria of the Fit for the Future

assessment, it was identified to have scale and

capacity sufficient to remain independent.

Because Council met that key requirement, it was

advised it could make a case to show it could be

assessed as fit. A consultant was engaged to under-

take that review and a submission is in final prepa-

ration to show it can meet all the governments

requirements by the dates determined by IPART.

Then came this shocking news that our municipal

community may be merged with the Shoalhaven,

an area extending almost to Batemans Bay with

which we have no community of interest.

We will continue to make the strongest represent-

ations to the State Government that this proposal

is not necessary, is not in the best interests of our

residents, is not supported by the true facts and

has no support in our area.

We urge all sections of our community all our

many organizations, groups and bodies, as well as

individuals - to rise up and say to the government

that THIS MERGER MUST NOT OCCUR.

It is not what the people of the Kiama Municipal-

ity want! See how you can help on page 4.

Brian Petschler, Mayor

Like many of you I was

stunned at the announce-

ment of the proposed coun-

cil mergers and confused as

to what this might mean for

the future of Kiama with its

potential lack of identity.

I couldnt understand why

Kiama was being targeted

when both Kiama and

Shoalhaven are two well-run

councils doing a good job

for their respective commu-

nities.

So I tried to envisage what

a new council would be like

if Kiama was amalgamated

with Shoalhaven City Coun-

cil (SCC). To amalgamate is

defined as to combine or

unite to form one organiza-

tion or structure. It infers a

blending or merging of two

equal groups to form a new

distinct body. However

given that Kiama has about

13,000 people (and an area

of 259 km2) and SCC has

about 97,000 (and an area

of 4,660 km2), Kiama would

only represent about 12%

of the new council and have

little input into the composi-

tion and direction of the new

council.

SCC has a ward system

with 4 councillors in each

ward and an elected mayor.

If Kiama became part of

SCC, it would be part of

Ward 1 and may be lucky

to have 1 or 2 councillors

to represent them out of a

council of 13.

Given the difference in

size between the two coun-

cils, it seems logical that

SCC will simply absorb

Kiama into their existing

council structure and Kiama

will become a small part of

a Greater Shoalhaven City

Council. All property and

facilities would be owned by

an enlarged SCC and the

new council could well de-

cide to sell off these facili-

ties for their own new priori-

ties in reality Kiama will

be annexed with minimal

input into the future of the

area. To annex something

is defined as to incorporate

(territory) into the domain

of a city, country or state.

The question needs to be

asked how would Kiama

residents be better off under

the annexation proposal?

Over many years, Kiama

Council has developed a

proactive approach to work-

ing with residents that seeks

to balance the demands of

new development, the envi-

ronment, rural concerns,

local economy and jobs,

leisure and tourism, new

housing and shops and aged

care and has come up with

solutions that mainly satisfy

most residents. How will

these programs and facilities

(such as the new Blue

Haven Aged Care or the

new supermarket site) be

maintained and developed

when Kiama is a small part

of a much larger council

with its own set of urgent

priorities and issues?

If Kiama residents want to

remain part of a strong inde-

pendent council, we need to

organise a united coalition

across the political spectrum

and that includes allies

from Shoalhaven and

Shellharbour communities.

A coalition that leaves party

politics at the door, is non-

political in its approach and

embraces everybody who is

opposed to the annexation

proposal.

No forced annexation for

Kiama!

Peter ONeill

Kiama residents rally to save their future

The first rally against

the proposed merger

of Kiama Council with

Shoalhaven City Council

attracted a strong crowd.

Speakers rejected the

proposal and called for

Kiama to remain an

independent entity.

They marched to Gareth

Wards office to deliver

a petition.

Andrew Sloan and Ian Pullar of the RSL attempting to deliver

the petition

2

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Or email us at emailthebugle@gmail.com

Disclaimer:

Every effort has been made to ensure the

accuracy of the information

in this publication, but we are only human.

Mark Honey: The forma-

tion of a

mega coastal

council by

the amalga-

mation of

Kiama and Shoalhaven will

have a huge impact on the

ability of local ratepayers to

have ultimate control over

future development of our

municipality.

Of major concern is the

loss of control of the future

initiatives such as the Kiama

Hospital site redevelopment

into a Centre of Excellence

in Aged Care, development

of the Aldi supermarket site,

preservation of the green

belt between Gerringong

and Gerroa, the rural integ-

rity of the Jamberoo Valley,

the LEP review (including

new development design

guidelines), the management

plan for Bombo Headland,

and future recycling and

waste management plans.

If elected on a pro-rata

basis Kiama district would

have 1/6th of the elected

councillors, not a strong

voice to champion initiatives

such as those above.

The NSW Government

has refused to acknowledge

our future financial position

once the sale of the units

at the Centre of Excellence

in Aged Care come on

stream post-2020.

Mark Way: Being part

of a strong

Kiama

Council that

punches

above its

weight, and having the

support of our local member

Gareth Ward, you would

think we were immune to

amalgamation.

Our Council staff are first

class, look at Kiama, its

paradise! They deserve to

keep their jobs! Having lo-

cal input to our community

cannot be underestimated.

A big fish in a small pool

(Kiama) knows its territory

and a small fish in a big pool

(Shoalhaven) soon gets

gobbled up and forgotten!

Our initial response to Fit

for the Future didnt satisfy

our political masters. The

bean counters should have

looked harder at us, rather

than go for the throat!

Council subsequently

employed a consultant who

has compiled a new report

that ticks all the boxes.

Im optimistic we will

remain as a standalone

Council. The games not

over yet.

To win, we need to stand

together as Team Kiama;

our rate payers, Council/

councillors and local MP!

Dennis Seage: I feel like we

have been

king hit.

We were

assured time

and time

again that we would not

amalgamate with anyone.

We engaged a professional

consultant to correct a few

things and he categorically

proves that we are indeed

Fit For the Future as per

the government guidelines.

We were just about to sub-

mit that document when out

of the blue came the most

unwelcome and unfair news

we could have expected.

My faith in this state

government is now ZERO

and although I have voted

Liberal all of my adult life,

I vow that I will never do so

again. The unfair and low

tactics used by this state

government throughout this

whole process were nothing

short of disgraceful; certain-

ly well below the belt.

If I were asked to sum up

in one word how I felt about

this whole expensive experi-

ence the word I would use

is REPUGNANCE.

I now suspect that the

Smiling Assassins of this

totalitarian regime known

as the Baird Liberal Govern-

ment had us earmarked for

amalgamation from day one.

Neil Reilly: Under forced

amalgama-

tions, devel-

opers will

have fewer

councillors

to contend with as will the

NSW state government.

Political agendas work like

this, the greater the democ-

racy, the harder to get your

own way.

Sadly, our community will

miss out on everything but

the cost.

Tax payers money will

fund amalgamations. Thats

$600,000,000 not going to

schools and hospitals and

increased rates will result.

The evidence is that

Queensland rates have

risen enormously post their

amalgamations.

We will have one or

two councillors forming

a minority on the larger

Shoalhaven Council. People

from Nowra and Ulladulla

will be deciding the future

of the Kiama LGA. Have no

doubt, the increased Kiama

rates will go South.

Our areas share a common

border, but thats it.

Both areas have unique

beauty and great people,

but the requirements of each

of the LGAs are different.

It would be like a merger

between Switzerland and

Italy.

Andrew Sloan: This is such

devastating

news.

Residents

of Kiama,

Gerringong,

Jamberoo and surrounds are

united in their love of the

area, and I am worried that

if future decisions are made

down in Nowra that the

things we love may be lost.

For many years this Kiama

Council has fought hard

to stop the loss of valuable

farmland to urban sprawl.

Perhaps this is the real

reason they want Kiama

Council gone.

There is certainly no valid

technical, governance or

economic argument for this

merger. It is political.

From now, the best hope

of protecting local democ-

racy is for the State to

understand that they risk

losing the seat of Kiama

at the next election if they

force Kiama to become the

northern outpost of the

Shoalhaven.

Kathy Rice: On Satur-

day, many

people

I approach-

ed at the

Gerringong

Christmas Parade were

shocked that amalgamation

of Kiama and Shoalhaven

was proposed and willingly

signed the petition I was

carrying.

People praised the high

level of service Kiama pro-

vides and felt that they got

good value for their rates.

They were concerned about

how insignificant Kiama

would be in a merged coun-

cil and questioned whether

such a large council would

continue to maintain com-

munity assets and respond

to community concerns in

the way that Kiama does.

Shoalhavens area is

18 times that of Kiama, and

Kiamas population would

comprise 18% of the merged

population. One or two

Kiama councillors would

have little sway in a Council

currently dominated by one

perspective. We could very

easily become overdevel-

oped.

There is no good evidence

for amalgamating Kiama

and we must fight this poor

decision.

Warren

Steel:

I really be-

lieve we are

not dead in

the water.

I believe if

the community can rally by

flooding both the Premier

and the Ministers emails to

show that the community is

100% against amalgamation,

then with Gareth Wards

support we can convince

the powers that be that we

are fit for the future and do

not want amalgamation with

anyone.

Gavin McClure: It was with

great dismay

that we

learnt that

we were

deemed to

not be fit for

the future. This cannot be;

however it is essential that

we as councillors support

our community and fight

to stand alone. There is so

much for us to lose with

very little gain with any

merger.

Council needs to work

with our consultant to

ensure that we rectify the

indentified shortcomings

from round one of the

assessment process of Fit

For the Future.

I am very, very confident

that we as a united commu-

nity can clearly prove that

we are fit, not just now but

into the future.

What future in a super council?

The merged Council area would stretch almost to

Batemans Bay. There is a large risk Kiama residents

would not get the level of service or opportunity

to participate as they do now. For example, Shoal-

haven Council offers no green bin service.

Councillors say fight this merger

Santa likes Kiama so much he is making two trips

to the Kiama Farmers Market this year, and came

down on the Kiama Picnic Train on the weekend.

He told The Bugle he is unimpressed with both the

timing of the proposal to amalgamate the councils,

and the proposal itself.

Kiama is a great place to live, he says. Mrs

Claus and I are seriously considering moving here

when I eventually retire.

The people I meet on my visits obviously love

their towns, and value their community. Lets stop

this Grinch in his tracks.

The next edition of

The Bugle in mid-January

will give an update on

the merger situation

3

Nick Hartgerink Media Consultant,

Kiama Downs It is surprising that NSW

hasnt learnt from the

Queensland experience,

where that state government

forced amalgamations in

2008, leaving communities

feeling that their identity

had been stolen.

Five years later, aggrieved

communities like Noosa

and Mareeba voted to

de-amalgamate from much

larger communities so

that they could regain their

identity.

There are obvious paral-

lels between Noosa being

forced into a Greater Sun-

shine Coast Council, and

Kiama being forced into

the Shoalhaven.

In Queensland the de-

amalgamation votes were

forced by years of agitation

and community unrest.

Why go through all this

pain and dislocation, for

an uncertain economic ad-

vantage? Our four regional

councils have already

demonstrated that they can

work together construc-

tively to pool resources and

reduce costs, without losing

their identities.

The NSW Government

should leave us alone to get

on with the job that Kiama

has been doing very well

for over 100 years.

Ian Pullar President of the Kiama/

Jamberoo RSL Sub-Branch

I write this in my capacity

with the RSL, as a resident

of Kiama and as a member

of the Councils advisory

Committee on Blue Haven

Care.

The RSL has always had

significant and sincere sup-

port from this Council in all

its commemorative endeav-

ours. For 2015 particularly,

we were in step for months

in order to make the

Centenary of Anzac the

success it was.

As a resident I have al-

ways been impressed with

this Councils efficiency

and consideration in all its

dealings with the public as

well as its careful manage-

ment of development.

Where will the new Blue

Haven project be placed

in this accretion of political,

so-called thought and for

that matter how will it af-

fect the existing structures?

Blue Haven Care maybe

Blue Haven Beware might

be more appropriate.

I am unconvinced that

any of this would receive

priority in the proposed

soft shoe shuffle that is

masquerading as an amal-

gamation.

The face of Jamberoo/

Kiama/Gerringong is likely

to undergo significant

change, and not for the

better.

Darrell Clingan Chair of the South Precinct

Committee, Gerringong

The recent involvement

of the South Precinct with

Kiama Council regarding

the public land in Fern

Street, Gerringong, high-

lights the importance of

having a close relationship

with the LOCAL Council.

Any amalgamation with

the very large Shoalhaven

Council area will signifi-

cantly reduce the ability of

LOCAL communities in the

Kiama LGA to discuss in

detail LOCAL issues with

their elected representa-

tives.

The Kiama LGA will

move from having nine

democratically elected rep-

resentatives to a situation

where Kiama is likely to

be just part of the northern

Ward of Shoalhaven LGA

and at the best likely to

have one out of a council of

12 councillors plus the

mayor with detailed knowl-

edge of the area, its history

and the community.

The process that has led

to the recent amalgamation

decisions in NSW will be a

blow for LOCAL represen-

tative democracy and will

leave the citizens of the

Kiama LGA even more

with the feeling that others,

somewhere else are in

charge of our destiny.

The South Precinct will

be arguing strongly in the

coming months for this

decision to be reversed.

Sandra McCarthy Emeritus Mayor, Gerringong

Kiama Council is one of

the oldest local government

areas in NSW, established

three years after the State

Parliament. Its formation

was seen as the govern-

ments solution to provid-

ing and funding local facili-

ties and services.

Over 156 years, the

Council has governed

democratically, successfully

planning, funding and dev-

eloping a level of quality

public infrastructure such

as The Pavilion, Leisure

Centre, libraries, commu-

nity halls and Blue Haven

Aged Care. An exemplary

level of Council service has

maintained and enhanced

our reserves, parks and

foreshores.

Significantly, the invest-

ment in the renewal of

public assets in the past 20

years, and in particular the

establishment of income

generating business units

such as Blue Haven Care,

has ensured a strong finan-

cial future for the Council.

So confident was the NSW

Government in the financial

future of Kiama Council,

they invited them to partner

in the Kiama Hospital re-

development, with Council

being the major contributor

with their Centre for Excel-

lence in Aged Care.

I would like to note

Kiama Council has re-

mained politically stable

and proudly stood alone

when neighbouring councils

lost their elected councillors

and were governed by

administration.

The World Health Org-

anisation has recognised

the Kiama Municipality as

a healthy, sustainable and

inclusive community with

its own identity.

The strong, consistent and

independent local govern-

ance of Kiama Council is

worthy of saving.

Al Marsden Kiama The bigger the crowd, the

smaller the voice. One of

the strengths of our Council

is that residents are given

the opportunity to voice

their opinions.

I doubt the same opportu-

nity would be available

after amalgamation.

We are a major attraction

because of the amenities

that make us a special

place. Beautiful clean

beaches, parks and play-

grounds are our rates at

work. Will the uniqueness

of our town and villages get

the same attention from a

much larger organisation?

Our Council is staffed by

locals who care about our

municipality let's keep it

that way!

No amalgamation!

Phyl Cowell Gainsborough

Ive lived here for 25 years

and I think Kiama Council

is wonderful. We couldnt

improve it, so we mustnt

lose it.

Betty Dallimore Blue Haven resident

Bluehaven has been a very

secure place to live. The

uncertainty is unsettling.

There is absolutely no need

for the merger.

Cliff Mason Minnamurra Progress Assoc

Whilst the Shoalhaven area

may be coastal in nature,

thats where the similarities

stop.

The demography of our

populations are quite differ-

ent as is the track record of

each council the perform-

ance of Kiama Municipal

Council in the timely provi-

sion of local services to the

community is streets ahead.

The community spirit

within Kiama LGA that

works with Council is also

terrific, and Im afraid that

spirit would be lost with an

amalgamated council based

in Nowra and focussed

on an area 100kms south

to Milton/Ulladulla and

beyond.

Kiama would become

the pimple on the fore-

head of an enlarged,

Nowra-centric, council. We

seek Gareth Wards imme-

diate intervention to prevent

this forced amalgamation.

Geoff Boxsell President of Jamberoo Valley

Ratepayers & Residents Assoc

Such an amalgamation

would certainly see a reduc-

tion in representation, and

a reduction in access to

councillors and Council

administration.

The percentage of total

income raised from areas

other than rates is higher for

Kiama Council than most,

if not all, and with amalga-

mation we would see the

benefits of this lost to the

local community.

Kiama Council already

works well with neighbour-

ing councils in sharing

facilities and equipment to

the benefit of its ratepayers.

We need to be mindful

of the recent Queensland

experience where councils

were forced to amalgamate

and subsequently, because

of public pressure, four

shires were permitted to

de-amalgamate a costly

exercise both ways.

We strongly support

Kiama Council in its

endeavour to remain as

a separate entity.

All for nought? Professor Brian Dollery, from

the Armidale Centre for Local

Government, University of

New England, has found no

empirical support to back the

proposition that amalgamation

will improve council perform-

ances or financial positions.

He has also said that councils

articulate the needs and de-

sires of local communities and

when you merge that disap-

pears straight away. You cant

put a dollar amount on it but it

doesn't make it any less real.

Paul Green, Chair of the

Upper House Inquiry into Fit

for the Future found that many

of the NSW Government's Fit

for the Future measures were

unreliable.

The Inquiry also found that:

the Independent Pricing and

Regulatory Tribunal did not

have the demonstrated skills

or capacity to assess the

overall fitness of councils

much of the available evi-

dence appears not to support

claims of cost savings and

efficiency.

Paul Green said, Given the

numerous concerns raised by

stakeholders about the costs of

amalgamations, the Committee

is of the view that the case for

amalgamations, and in particu-

lar, forced amalgamations, has

not been made. The apparent

lack of empirical evidence to

demonstrate the benefits of

amalgamations lends further

weight to these concerns.

Councils play an important

role within the local commu-

nity, especially in regional

areas. We note Inquiry partici-

pants fear that amalgamation

of local councils could mean

a loss of local identity,

community uniqueness and

local decision making.

The importance of keeping

the local in local government

is to ensure it remains close to

the people it serves.

The Independent Local Gov-

ernment Review Panel, chaired

by Professor Graham Sansom,

reported on the Illawarra

Region as follows:

each council appears

sustainable for at least

the medium term

existing boundaries do

not pose significant urban

management problems

Kiama has a distinctive rural

and coastal setting and

'country town' character,

compared to Wollongong

and Shellharbour.

On that basis, his Panel

considered that closer

collaboration through a

Joint Organisation would

enable a sufficient response

to regional challenges for

some time to come.

Strong support from the community

4

Have your say

In September 2014 the

NSW Government released

a Fit for the Future reform

package for NSW Councils.

Councils were required to

provide a submission to the

NSW Independent Pricing

and Regulatory Tribunal

(IPART) by June 2015

outlining their roadmap

to be Fit for the Future.

Councils were required to

show they could meet four

criteria by 2019-20:

financial sustainability

service & infrastructure

management

efficiency

scale and capacity.

In October 2015, the Gov-

ernment released IPARTs

report Assessment of

Council Fit for the Future

Proposals. IPART assessed

Kiama Council as being

not fit.

The NSW Government

gave all councils the oppor-

tunity to respond to the

IPART report by the 18th

November.

We responded and out-

lined the key points we

believe were not considered

in the IPART assessment.

We outlined the ways in

which we will continue to

work towards being Fit for

the Future and reaffirmed

that we will not be consider-

ing merger options.

The state government

made it clear to Kiama

Council that as it met scale

and capacity it would not

be required to merge with

adjoining councils.

On December 18th,

the NSW Government

announced it proposed to

merge Kiama and Shoal-

haven councils.

Is the not fit status justified? Council was found to be

not fit overall, despite

satisfying the scale and

capacity ratios the major

requirement of the NSW

Governments overall

assessment of fitness.

Kiama Council also met

service and infrastructure

management.

It did not meet all the

financial sustainability

benchmarks or the

efficiency benchmark.

Despite the IPART

findings, Kiama Council

believes it remains in a

strong and sustainable

financial position.

We believe Council is able

to continue to provide assets

and infrastructure to the

high standard expected by

the community.

Council considers that

a number of unique and

highly relevant circum-

stances were not fully

considered in IPARTs

assessment in particular,

the long-term financial

benefit the Centre for

Excellence in Aged Care

will bring to Council.

The assessment failed to

recognise that at that point

in time, Council was able to

show in its submission that

it would be able to meet the

financial benchmark just

two years after the IPART

timeframe.

Since the release of the

IPART report, Council

engaged consultants

Morrison Low who identi-

fied further efficiencies and

savings and determined that

we will be Fit for the Future

by the IPART timeframe of

2019-20. We will be making

every effort to continue

to remain as a stand alone

entity.

Kiama Council believes

its approach to the Fit for

the Future reform process

was sensible, socially and

financially responsible and

entirely consistent with the

state governments objec-

tives. We had not relied,

like many other Councils,

on large rate increases

within the next few years.

Council has in place a

prudent, sustainable and

fully funded 10-year finan-

cial plan.

We are confident we have

the right plans and processes

in place to remain a strong

and independent local Coun-

cil capable of meeting our

communitys expectations.

Whats the next step in the process? There will be a period of consultation that will

run over the next two to three months.

Both the Councils and the community will have

the opportunity to provide input. Both Councils will

continue to operate as normal during this process.

A report will be referred to the Boundaries

Review Commission for advice to the Minister for

Local Government. The Minister will then make

a decision.

How do we compare to other councils? Here are some results from the 2014 comparative local

government statistics:

Average DA processing times

Kiama - 53 days

Shoalhaven - 71 days

Shellharbour - 67 days

Domestic waste not going to landfill

Kiama - 62%

Shoalhaven - 49% (no green waster service)

Shellharbour - 52%

Satisfaction survey results

Every four years, Council has the Illawarra Regional

Information Service undertake a community survey.

The most recent survey results revealed residents have

a relatively high level of satisfaction (76%) with Council's

overall performance, and only a small proportion of resi-

dents (3.2%) were dissatisfied with Council's perform-

ance. Kiama Council's results when benchmarked against

more than 40 other Queensland and NSW councils were

near the top.

A previous survey showed that eighty-nine per cent of

residents wished Kiama Council to remain independent.

To: The Premier of NSW, the NSW Minister for Local Government and MP for Kiama

As a resident of Kiama LGA, I wish to protest strongly about the NSW Governments

proposal to merge Kiama Council with Shoalhaven City Council.

I am particularly concerned about:

Loss of local identity

Loss of local decision making

Reduction in representation

Reduction in service

Reduction in maintenance of parks & buildings

Potential sale of community assets.

The Kiama Municipality has had a strong local council since 1859, and there is no

reason for this to change.

Signed: .. Name: ...

Address: ..

Phone number: .

You might not always be happy with

Councils decisions or the way that

it operates, but at least you have

the opportunity to get involved and

have your views heard.

Local councils are responsible for

providing the following services:

Town planning & building

assessment

Economic development

Environmental health

Dog & cat management

Pest & weed control

Road construction & maintenance

Footpath construction & mainte-

nance

Street lighting

Rubbish collection

Traffic & parking regulations

Public swimming pools

Halls

Cemeteries

Sporting fields, courts & facilities

Arts & cultural programs

Youth advisory services, programs

& activities

Coastal care

Recycling

Tourism information & support

Information services

Parks, reserves & picnic areas

Caravan parks

Aged care

Festivals & events

Food safety inspections.

Which of these would you

be happy to have decided on

by a mega-council?

Sign the Petition which is circulating around town.

Email the NSW Government to voice your concerns:

The Premier www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/contact-premier-new-south-wales

The Minister for Local Government office@toole.minister.nsw.gov.au

Gareth Ward, Member for Kiama Gareth.Ward@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Fill in the details below, cut it out and drop it into our collection points across the LGA for

us to pass on to the state government. Dont delay. Collection points:

Kiama Council Administration office, Kiama Library and Kiama Leisure Centre.

How did we get to this point?

If you want to help stop Kiama losing its independence,

make your feelings known.

Here are the merger benefits listed by the NSW Government in its proposed merger summary on its Council Boundary Review

website, along with our comments:

For four years after the merger, the

Governments policy is that rates will

be frozen at existing paths To be Fit

for the Future, Shoalhaven Council is

relying on the successful application of

a special rate variation from 2017-18

of 21% over two years. If this can not be

implemented, then Shoalhaven will not

be Fit for the Future by 2019-20

Greater capacity to manage the infra-

structure backlog Kiama Council

already has a low infrastructure backlog

The NSW Government will provide

$15 million to meet merger costs and

provide a head start on investing in

services and infrastructure that savings

from the mergers will ultimately support

Mergers have a cost and Council has

appointed an independent consultant

to estimate the cost impact in relation

to any savings

Savings can support investment in critical

local infrastructure and services and/or

be utilised to address rate pressures

The detail on where and how savings

are to be made has not been provided

A stronger balance sheet to meet local

community needs and priorities, includ-

ing average annual savings of $3.4million

generated by the merger from 2020.

The site also gives the Background:

The Independent Local Government Review Panel did not identify this as a high priority merger, on the basis of a number of factors including that each council appeared sustainable for at least the medium term Particular comment was made on Kiamas unique character-

istics. It is an active participant in a joint

organisations of councils.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal found Kiama Municipal Council as Not Fit at 2019-20 Councils origi-nal proposal indicated it would be fit by

2021-22. It is confident that the measures

it is taking in its revised submission will

make it Fit by the 2019-20 deadline.

Uncertain benefits

Keep in touch with developments at

kiama.nsw.gov.au or Councils facebook page