04 December 2012
There is a once in a generation opportunity to restructure local government in NSW through a combination of amalgamations, shared service centres and regional cooperation of groups of councils, says the Urban Taskforce.
If small councils want to amalgamate they should be encouraged to do this, says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. The real saving will come from groups of councils, becoming more efficient through a shared service centre particularly for planning services.
The strategic planning for Sydney will need to work with clusters of councils and it is this grouping that should become the basis of regional groupings of councils with shared service centres. This would lead to clusters of 6 or 7 councils or even less following amalgamation.
The ideal area to start restructuring will be along Parramatta Road where Ashfield, Burwood, Strathfield and Canada Bay councils will all be affected by the construction of the West Connex and the urban renewal that will follow. These four councils can begin by having a shared service centre with one planning centre of excellence. Over time the four could become a single entity if the community supported this.
The State Government should determine the boundaries of regional groupings of councils so that this is the same for all activities including strategic planning, Joint Regional Planning Panels, public transport, water management and economic development. We need an efficient structure for those functions that require both levels of government to work together.
