Hawkesbury’s Future Threatened
The Hills Shire Council is currently circulating three amalgamation options, two of which would directly affect the future of the Hawkesbury Local Government Area.
One option suggests a merger with The Hills resulting in a super city council of an area one and a quarter times the size of the current metropolitan area, which is clearly unworkable.
A second option presented suggests The Hills absorb suburbs north of Windsor Road and east of South Creek including McGraths Hill, Pitt Town, Oakville, Maraylya and parts of Cattai and Vineyard severely affecting the future sustainability of our local government area.
“The Hills suggest that the Hawkesbury could be divided and incorporated into neighbouring councils splintering our long established community and dissolving our Council as we know it. The Hills state that this is their preferred option,” said the Mayor of Hawkesbury Councillor Kim Ford.
Hawkesbury Council has formally resolved not support nor entertain any proposals for the adjustment of the Council’s boundaries being proposed by The Hills Shire Council or the merger of the Council with any adjoining council area.
Councils have been asked by the State Government to present plans to make them Fit for the Future that consider the recommendations of the NSW Independent Local Government Review panel which recognises Hawkesbury’s important role in managing the unique rural area on the edge of Sydney. The Panel’s preferred option is to maintain the Hawkesbury as it currently exists, that is that there be no change to its structure.
The Mayor said that he was seriously concerned that The Hills are presenting options to their ratepayers that do not include the preferred option of the NSW Local Government Review Panel, that is that there be No Change to the current status of either Councils.
“I am disappointed that this Council was not consulted prior to these options being formulated.
“The Hills do not seem to understand that our community values the unique characteristics of our towns and rural villages and our strong history as a community that goes back to the very foundations of Australia.”
“Time and time again our community has told us that they value their rural lifestyle.” he said
“Our community does not want to be engulfed by the large scale broad acre development that is so favoured by The Hills, with suburb abutting suburb and high rise development.
“It is difficult to see any positive benefits for the Hawkesbury in being merged into a super council with The Hills.
The Hills admit that there would be challenges in providing services across a region with very large remote and rural areas.
"This challenge is real; we understand the realities of it and work with it day in and day out as the largest Council, in area, in Sydney. Creating a Council of a larger size in area on the outer fringe of Sydney does not make economic sense.” said Councillor Ford.
“Neither will we entertain any move that sees our future viability as a local government area compromised. By taking a portion of the Hawkesbury the area would lose around 8,300 of its population, and one of the few areas available for sustained population growth would be lost.
“This is clearly not in the interests of the residents of the Hawkesbury.
“The last thing we want is a suburb mentality to be imposed on our beautiful Hawkesbury. The Hills options strike at the very social fabric of our area.” said the Mayor.
Visit the Getting Council Fit For the Future project page for more information.
