The end of Marrickville Council

Sunset on the Cooks River….sunset on Marrickville Council despite massive community opposition.

Well it is official.  Today the NSW Premier Mike Baird sacked all local councils that are to be merged, renamed them & “administrators brought in to run them until elections in September 2017” though merging councils will have elections next March. See –  http://bit.ly/23IivHa

“Marrickville, Ashfield and Leichhardt councils will be renamed Inner West Council. Auburn and Holroyd will be renamed Cumberland Council. Hurstville and Kogarah will be renamed Georges River Council and Manly, Pittwater and Warringah will be called Northern Beaches Council….”

More later when I know more.

Happy New Year!

Rainbow lorikeet feasting on nectar.

I wish you a Happy New Year and I hope that 2016 is a very good year for all of you.

This year will be a big change for the citizens of Marrickville Municipality if the forced amalgamation with Ashfield and Leichhardt Councils goes ahead as it appears it will. I feel bad for all the Council staff for this huge upheaval and I presume the eventual loss of jobs. So I send a special wish for a very good year to all the staff at Marrickville Council.

It will be sad to lose Marrickville LGA, and it is a shame that the amalgamation is going ahead despite that the Council and the majority of residents do not want it.

I thank you for your support and for reading this blog. I really appreciate it. Jacqueline

Amalgamation options for Marrickville municipality

The 5th November 1861 marked the establishment of Marrickville municipality. The population at that time was 600 people. Photo shows Richardsons Reserve in The Warren.

Well it is no longer rumour.  The Independent Local Government Review Panel established by the NSW State Government has put forward 3 options for amalgamation of Marrickville municipality.

From Marrickville Council’s ‘Your Say Marrickville’ website, they are –

• “Merge with the proposed Sydney group of councils, creating a new ‘super Sydney’ council that would include City of Sydney, Botany Bay, Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra & possibly Leichhardt. The Panel believes this option could provide close functional interaction & economic/social links; unify local government to plan & manage Parramatta Road; inner west development; make Burwood a major centre.

• Merge with the proposed Inner West group of councils that would include Ashfield, Burwood, Canada Bay, Strathfield & possibly Leichhardt. The Panel believes this option could provide close functional interaction & economic/social links; unify local government to plan & manage Parramatta Road; inner west development; make Burwood a major centre.

• Merge with the proposed Canterbury Council. The Panel believes this option could enhance the economic & social mix; & remove problematic boundaries to the north and east.

Other options are –

• Oppose amalgamation recommendations altogether & retain Marrickville Council as it is.

• Propose alternatives boundaries, for example, splitting half of the current Marrickville Council area into the proposed Sydney group & the other half into the inner west group.”

• “The Panel has also suggested an alternative to amalgamations which is the creation of strong County Councils, by combining member councils according to the groups listed above (Sydney, Inner West or Canterbury) anchored by a regional centre & sharing services across council boundaries.” 

Marrickville Council is asking the community to give feedback about the proposed options for amalgamation & whether we should appose amalgamation & seek to remain as Marrickville municipality.

On Council’s ‘Your Say Marrickville’ website there is a downloadable report ‘Future Directions for Local Government,’ a quick poll, a discussion forum & an online submission form to be included in Council’s submission to the Independent Local Government Review Panel.  This is a very important issue that will affect all of us so it makes sense to participate in this community consultation.

The deadline for submissions from the community is Friday 14 June 2013.  See – http://yoursaymarrickville.com.au/local-govt-review