• Deputy mayor Kevin Allen spearheaded opposition to the merger, saying the public should be asked first. Photo by Jeremy Dixon
Premier Colin Barnett’s increasingly troubled council mergers plan has hit another speed bump, with Cockburn city council voting five-four to reject amalgamation with Kwinana.
Deputy mayor Kevin Allen—who is running for mayor—led the anti-merger charge, saying residents should be asked first.
The decision is a blow for merger-spruiking mayor Logan Howlett, who is seeking re-election.
At the September 19 meeting Cr Allen accused Mr Howlett of showing a “lack of care for ratepayers’ money” with his enthusiastic backing of the premier’s plan.
“I could not understand why or how anyone would support or accept that $80-$100 million of reserves could so easily be wrestled away if a merger went ahead,” Cr Allen said.
“I believe that the mayor has shown a lack of care for ratepayers’ funds by his continued support of an amalgamation. It’s not his money, it belongs to the community.
“It was irresponsible and a very cavalier approach to take.”
Cr Allen says the Barnett government has failed to present a business case outlining the supposed financial benefits of mergers.
“Last year the director of finance and myself, attended a conference on best practice in local government,” he said.
“At the conference there were a number of speakers commenting on the failure of amalgamations in their states.”
Speakers had said that following massively expensive and disruptive mergers in Queensland, there were just 500 fewer staff in the bigger bodies than beforehand, a far cry from what had been initially estimated, and rates had not dropped as promised.
Cr Allen says Cockburn and Kwinana do not want to merge and are only considering it because the premier has a gun to their heads.
“Despite the premier stating publicly that there will be no forced amalgamations, clearly they are forcing us to amalgamate with Kwinana,” he says.
“There are really not two willing partners. We cannot support or proceed any further toward an amalgamation with any adjoining city until we have given our ratepayers their democratic right to accept or reject any such amalgamation.”
by BRENDAN FOSTER