Posted on May 12, 2016 by Sue Puckeridge

19 new amalgamated Councils for NSW

As expected the Government has announced  the amalgamation of numerous local councils across NSW.  In total, 19 new councils have been created.  Further amalgamations have been deferred pending the outcome of legal challenges.

2 proclamations creating the new councils have been issued.  Key matters relevant to the day to day operation of the new councils include:

• The proclamations are operative from 12 May 2016.
• Councils of the areas amalgamated are dissolved and administrators are appointed for each new council.  New interim general managers and new deputy general managers have been appointed. A list of these appointees appears at the end of this article.
• Council elections for new councils are deferred until 9 September 2017.
• A delegation by a former council that was in force immediately before 12 May 2016 is taken to be a delegation by the new council.  Delegations to the general manager of a former council are taken to be a delegation to the interim general manager of the new council.
• Anything done or omitted from being done and having any force or effect immediately before 12 May 2016 continues to have effect.  Things commenced but not completed may be completed or discontinued by the new council.  This will include any approval, notice or order that has been issued by the former council.
• The code of conduct for the new council is taken to be the model code until a new code of conduct is adopted.
• The proclamation identify in each schedule which former council’s code of meeting practice applies to the new council.
• The codes, plans, strategies and policies of the new council are taken, as far as practicable, to be a composite of the corresponding codes, plans, strategies and policies of each of the former councils until new ones are adopted.
• Development control plans and section 94 contribution plans which applied to an area immediately before 12 May 2016 continue to apply to that part of the area of the new council that consists of the former area.
• A person nominated as a member of a joint regional planning panel by a former council may continue to exercise and complete any function being exercised before 12 May 2016 and the function will be taken to have been exercised on behalf of the new council.  Otherwise, the person ceases to be a nominee for the council.
• New councils must have an operational plan in place by 1 August 2016.
• The structure for rates applied by a former council to rates levied on land in a former area for 2015/2016 is to be applied by the new council to rates levied on land for 2016/2017.

A copy of the two proclamations creating the new councils can be found on the NSW Legislation website here and here.

Administrators, Interim General Managers and Deputy General Managers

1. Armidale Regional Council (Armidale, Dumaresq and Guyra). The administrator is Ian Tiley. The interim General Manager is Glen Wilcox. The Deputy General Manager is Peter Stewart.
2. Canterbury-Bankstown Council (Bankstown and Canterbury). The administrator is Richard Colley. The interim General Manager is Matthew Stewart. The Deputy General Manager is Jim Montague.
3. Central Coast Council (Gosford and Wyong). The administrator is Ian Reynolds. The interim General Manager is Rob Noble. The Deputy General Manager is Paul Anderson.
4. City of Parramatta Council (Parramatta and part of Hills, Auburn, Holroyd and Hornsby). The administrator is Amanda Chadwick. The interim General Manager is Greg Dyer.
5. Cumberland Council (Auburn and Holroyd). The administrator is Viv May. The interim General Manager is Merv Ismay. The Deputy General Manager is Mark Brisby.
6. Edward River Council (Conargo and Deniliquin). The administrator is Ashley Hall. The interim General Manager is Des Bilske. The Deputy General Manager is Barry Barlow.
7. Federation Council (Corowa and Urana). The administrator is Mike Eden. The interim General Manager is Chris Gillard. The Deputy General Manager is Adrian Butler.
8. Georges River Council (Hurstville and Kogarah). The administrator is John Rayner. The interim General Manager is Gail Connolly. The Deputy General Managers are Laurie O’Connor and Paul Woods.
9. Gundagai Council (Cootamundra and Gundagai). The administrator is Christine Ferguson. The interim General Manager is Ken Tretheway. The Deputy General Manager is Phillip McMurray.
10. Hilltops Council (Boorowa, Harden, Young). The administrator is Wendy Tuckerman. The interim General Manager is Anthony McMahon. The Deputy General Manager is David Aber.
11. Inner West Council ( Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville). The administrator is Richard Pearson. The interim General Manager is Vanessa Chan. The deputy General Managers are Peter Head and Brian Barrett.
12. Mid-Coast Council (Gloucester, Great Lakes and Greater Taree). The administrator is John Turner. The interim General Manager is Glenn Handford. The Deputy General Managers are Ron Posselt and Danny Green.
13. Murray River Council (Murray and Wakool). The administrator is David Shaw. The interim General Manager is Margot Stork. The Deputy General Managers is Lea Rosser.
14. Murrumbidgee Council (Jerilderie and Murrumbidgee). The administrator is Austin Evans. The interim General Manager is Craig Moffitt. The Deputy General Manager is Phil Pinyon.
15. Northern Beaches Council (Manly, Pittwater and Warringah). The administrator is Dick Perrson. The interim General Manager is Mark Ferguson. The Deputy General Managers are Henry Wong and Rik Hart.
16. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (Queanbeyan and Palerang). The administrator is Tim Overall. The interim General Manager is Peter Tegart. The Deputy General Manager is Peter Bascomb.
17. Snowy Monaro Regional Council (Bombala, Cooma-Monaro Shire, Snowy River) The administrator is Dean Lynch. The interim General Manager is Joseph Vescio. The deputy General Managers are John Vucic and Ngairie McCrindle.
18. Snowy Valleys Council (Tumut and Tumbarumba). The administrator is Paul Sullivan. The interim General Manager is Bob Stewart. The deputy General Manager is Kay Whitehead.
19. Western Plains Regional Council (Dubbo and Wellington). The administrator is Michael Kniepp. The interim General Manager is Mark Riley.