Please click the link below to view the results (pdf format) of our survey asking people about their satisfaction with Councils’ response to the NSW state government’s Fit For The Future initiative. That initiative required Councils to respond to the government proposal to amalgamate Councils, or require that they have the capacity to continue to operate independently.
Hunters Hill Council’s response was to reject amalgamation and to offer to enter into a voluntary arrangement with City of Ryde and Lane Cove Councils, described as a Joint Regional Authority. That model was similar to the Joint Organisation that was offered to rural but not urban Councils. The response was rejected by the NSW government, and there was a subsequent attempt to force amalgamation of those 3 Councils.
During consultation, Hunters Hill Council never actually asked residents whether we wanted a 2-Council (with Lane Cove) or 3-Council (with Lane Cove and City of Ryde) amalgamation. Those alternatives were bypassed.
During its consultation, Hunters Hill Council asked a few questions (which can be reviewed at Council’s link below) of respondents and used those responses to claim a mandate to fight amalgamation long after Fit For The Future ended. When reviewing the questions as put to the respondents, one model was claimed to be “superior” – which we believe leads a respondent towards that answer.
Our survey ran from 12th June to 20th June 2015.
Results of survey about Fit For The Future
Hunters Hill Council’s description of Fit For The Future can be found at the link below.