Cr Overall says “Their submission focuses on a report commissioned by Queanbeyan City Council in April 2015. This report was not endorsed and had been replaced with more recent data in April 2016 and lodged with Council’s merger submission (available on our website). The April 2015 report stated that for a full merger to be sustainable, around 60 jobs could be cut. This was not supported by Council.”

“Council supported the Minister’s part and full merger proposals on the basis of no forced job losses, and in fact new jobs would be created to provide new services.”

“Palerang’s submission makes reference to Queanbeyan’s desire to dismantle the Bungendore and Braidwood offices and their staff levels should a full merger proceed. This is completely false – Council has made submissions recognising Braidwood as a rural centre. QCC also supported not breaking up the staff of Palerang and keeping their expertise intact” said Cr Overall.

“In respect of Bungendore, regardless of what merge option is finally adopted, we still see the need for an office there. All we are asking for is ‘flexibility’ and some equity between Queanbeyan and Bungendore staff, rather than being tied into fixed staff numbers in the town as is required by Section 218CA of the Act.”

“Therefore, in Council’s submission, we called for the Minister to consider making Bungendore exempt from Section 218CA which requires the number of employees at a rural centre with a population of less than 5000 to be maintained in perpetuity. The request is based on the fact that:

• Many staff were formerly from Yarrowlumla Council and lived in Queanbeyan and Canberra, currently less than 20 Palerang staff reside in Bungendore

• Bungendore is not a traditional rural centre reliant on the council as the town’s main employer with 60% of residents travelling to Queanbeyan or the ACT for work

• Bungendore staff have grown from 60-80 since Palerang established headquarters there in 2004, including staff employed on the basis of grants or contract income that may not endure

• While Braidwood and Captains Flat are certainly rural centres, the non-classification of Bungendore will allow integration of back office functions, movement and development of staff between Queanbeyan and Bungendore and the continued use of existing shared systems.”

Cr Overall said “Palerang also claimed the Bungendore office would be closed and used for an expanded library and Rural Fire Service office – this is not being considered. It will be the decision of a new council, not QCC, as to the scale and operation of offices and depots in the towns.”

Cr Overall concluded: “To make it clear – if a merger goes ahead, whether it be a full or part merger, it is not the intention of Queanbeyan City Council to cut jobs in Bungendore and Braidwood. All staff positions within the new entity are protected for a minimum of three years under the award. The legislation maintains current council job numbers in the townships in Palerang in perpetuity. The intention of QCC’s submission is to create a sustainable and flexible council that delivers quality services to the community in a cost efficient manner.”

Meanwhile the NSW Opposition has called on the Baird Government to immediately release key reports prepared by delegates on forced local council amalgamations.

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley MP said “These public consultations are a total sham. The Baird-Grant Government pretends to be listening to communities but instead they are being completely ignored.”

“Why is this Premier continually withholding information from the public? What information is the Premier hiding?” said Mr Foley. “Paul Toole has already told the radio presenter Alan Jones that he is not going to release the reports. When was he planning to tell the rest of NSW?”

The Delegates have been holding public meetings around the state to hear from constituents about the planned mergers. There are up to 45 merger proposals underway as part of the local government reforms.

The Opposition says Local Government Minister Paul Toole has reportedly received the reports which were prepared by delegates but has ruled out releasing their contents until after a decision has been made.

Last week two councils, Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai on Sydney’s North Shore, used the Supreme Court to force the Government to hand over the delegate report on their proposed merger.

The NSW Government has form on disclosure: it has repeatedly refused to release the secret $400,000 KPMG report which was the basis for its claims that the mergers were in the state’s best interest. 

Earlier this month the NSW Opposition revealed that delegates conducting public inquiries into forced council amalgamations are being paid $1,500 a day, which equates to an annual salary of $360,000 – a salary higher than Premier Mike Baird.

Shadow Minister for Local Government Peter Primrose MLC said “This process has been a total dog’s breakfast. Premier Baird will stop at nothing to keep any information hidden from the public.”