A recent local newspaper article (Hands off our rates, May 26) reported that the shire of Dardanup’s “No Amalgamation Action Group” was pushing for the decision on whether the shires of Capel, Dardanup and Harvey should be merged with the City of Bunbury be put to the vote.
If a referendum was held, the result in the shires would certainly be in the negative.
A state government committed to a forced merger would be unlikely to heed such results.
The action group should therefore be agitating for the most favourable treatment possible for the shires and shire residents post-merger, and in this respect the manner in which the new council operated should be a matter of considerable concern.
Thus the comments by Bunbury’s deputy mayor Brendan Kelly, (Councillor’s Column, Bunbury Mail, June 25) should be of interest.
He points out that resulting from the City resolving to progressively reduce its councillor numbers from 12 to eight, it has taken a step towards creating the City of Greater Bunbury.
To facilitate community input into the decision making process under its reduced councillor numbers arrangement, the City proposes to create Community Precinct Committees.
Whether these will actually be created, or they are the extent to which their representations will be heeded, remains to be seen.
Perhaps the Dardanup Action Group, and other shire action groups if they are formed, should be seriously studying the new Bunbury model to establish if it continues post merger, it will be a council model acceptable to the shire and shire residents.
Alan Summers, Bunbury.
