'Fit For the Future' with some measly pieces of silver

The NSW Government has announced its response to the Sampson Review  (media release) and it has not been well received by Mosman Council.

This is what the Mayor had to say in his 'occasional letter'.

'Secondly, the State Government has nearly done a full U-turn on its frequent pledges not to force council amalgamations. Councils have been told that by June 2015 they must come up with proposals for scale and capacity that are consistent with the recommendations of the recent Independent Local Government Review Panel (ILGRP) which recommended that council areas in Sydney should contain some 250,000 people. Councils are also being offered some measly pieces of silver (which works out at about $100 per household) to amalgamate. It is not clear at this stage what happens to Councils (communities) that do not wish to be part of huge local government areas or whether they will have the opportunity to show that they are “Fit for the Future”, whatever that may mean. If the review panel for “Fit for the Future” is similar to the ILGRP, whose three members were wholly pre-committed to amalgamation, it could be another hatchet job. I will provide more details as they become clearer. We will of course consult our community in setting our position.'