NO consultation was undertaken by the State Government with local council representatives prior to the amalgamation plebiscite this week.
On Monday the Premier Peter Malinauskas announced a plebiscite would be held during the upcoming Council elections, allowing residents within the two council regions, Mount Gambier City Council and Grant District Council, to decide if amalgamation was worth investigating.
In a statement, the Government said the matter has long been a debate in the region, and residents within Grant close rely on Mount Gambier council services.
The announcement came as a surprise to many in the region, including council staff and representatives.
Chief executive of Grant Council Darryl Whicker confirmed no consultation took place between the State Government and council prior to the announcement.
“The plebiscite to determine the level of community support for a possible amalgamation between the District Council of Grant and City of Mount Gambier is an entirely State Government proposal,” Mr Whicker said.
“Council was not consulted by the State Government before the announcement regarding the plebiscite was made public, via the media, on Monday night; however, we will work constructively to ensure the best possible process occurs.”
Mr Whicker said it will be council’s priority to support fair and equal representation on the matter going forward.
“We encourage all eligible residents and businesses to have their say, including on the merger proposal, and return their ballot packs to the Electoral Commission of SA,” he said.
“Council will provide further details to our community as more information comes to light.”
Incumbent Grant Council Mayor Richard Sage said he was disappointed by a lack of consultation prior to the announcement.
“To come to our region and apologise for the ‘sale of our pines’ just two months ago and now without even contacting the District Council of Grant and push for the amalgamation using us as a guinea pig for a pilot project to dominate and achieve what they want is another big mistake,” Mr Sage said.
“This Council, like many other small councils in this state, are financially sound and deliver great services to their ratepayers every day.
“Maybe you need to spend some time with us and get to know down at grassroot level what Local Government means to their local communities and through co-operation you will get better value through a partnership approach rather than dictatorship.
“We do not want to be responsible for the debt the City of Mount Gambier have made for themselves.”
Current Grant Councillor and Mayoral candidate Kylie Boston said the news had come to her out of left field, and she had not observed a strong interest of amalgamation within the community since she had been on council.
“We have to watch this space, because we do not really know what it actually is,” Ms Boston said.
“We are very different as a rural council to the needs of a city council…we are so many small communities that make up Grant District Council and that is unusual because it is not a couple big towns.”
Ms Boston did not recall any discussions of amalgamation in any of her meetings during Parliament’s Country Cabinet visit earlier in the year, or any other time she has met with State Government representatives.
The announcement came on the eve of caretaker mode and council candidate nominations closing, and Ms Boston said she would have appreciated an earlier warning from the State Government so it could have been included in her platform.
“I had to write my candidacy statement before knowing this, I would have included something about it if I had known,” she said.
“Maybe some community members would have run for council if we had found out earlier.”
Local Member of parliament Troy Bell said he would leave the decision in the hands of the voters, but would not support a forced amalgamation.
“Ultimately, it’s up to our community to decide if it’s right for our region and the ballot question simply asks if ratepayers think an investigation into a merger has merit,” Mr Bell said.
“Even if the ballot shows a majority of ratepayers support the investigation, there’s two other important steps before any formal mergers can progress.
“The State’s Productivity Commission and Local Government Boundaries Commission have to independently assess both councils and conduct extensive community consultation following a vote.
“I don’t support forced amalgamations, however I do support growth, development and opportunities for our region.”
A representative from the Mount Gambier City Council said council would “engage constructively” through the process.
“The City of Mount Gambier is of the understanding that the plebiscite is only the first step,” a council representative said.
“If voters are in favour of exploring amalgamations, we understand that the Government intends that the Local Government Boundaries Commission would start community consultation.
“At the same time, the SA Productivity Commission would assess the economic benefits of the merged council. Council is awaiting further information on the processes to be followed throughout the ballot process.”
If the plebiscite was successful in determining interest in the idea, no timeline has been set on how long the investigation or eventual amalgamation could take, or if other councils in the region will be considered for amalgamation in the future.
