IPART has handed down its report on Fit for the Future to the NSW Minister for Local Government, Paul Toole. The findings of the report have been made available yesterday and councils will now have 30 days to provide their feedback and indicate merger preferences and reform options.
The report summary indicates that over 60 per cent of New South Wales councils are not fit for the future. This includes 71 percent of metropolitan councils and 56 percent of rural and regional councils. IPART assessed only nine councils in Metropolitan Sydney as fit and 29 as not fit.
Image courtesy of SMH report: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/ipart-report-the-sydney-councils-facing-the-axe-20151020-gkdce0.html
Only two Sydney council merger proposals were received, Burwood/Canada Bay/Auburn and Waverley/Randwick. These were both assessed as fit, however IPART observed additional council neighbours would benefit from inclusion.
Under the IPART assessment criteria, council proposals were required to demonstrate that they:
- have the scale and capacity to engage effectively across community, industry and government,
- are financially sustainable,
- effectively manage infrastructure and deliver services for communities, and
- are efficient.
The State Government has previously made recommendations for preferred council mergers based on the Local Government Review Panel Report of 2013. . The IPART report continues to support council mergers as enabling more effective provision of services to the local community. A Stronger Communities Fund for the delivery of community infrastructure will provide funding to mergers agreed by the government and councils.
There will be mergers ahead and there may be acceptance of a model for some joint Council Organisations in regional areas as indicated by The Joint Organisations Emerging Directions Paper, currently available for consultation.
Urbis will keep you updated on the progress of the Fit for the Future assessments and any future council amalgamation proposals. In the meantime, council roles and procedures, including planning assessments, will remain unchanged.
Should you wish to discuss the reports or possible issues please contact one of our Urbis Directors.