At last Wednesday’s meeting, councillors were asked to discuss and decide whether they would support the Local Government Minister’s proposed boundaries joining Fremantle with East Fremantle, Melville and parts of Canning to become one big local government area.
The City of Fremantle was also asked to enter into an MOU with the other local governments involved in the merger that outlines the principles for future decisions, which will also be addressed at the meeting.
During the meeting Cr Josh Wilson said he would prefer the matter be deferred to allow the councillors to have a say in the boundary locations, instead of giving Mayor Brad Pettitt and chief executive Graeme Mackenzie delegated authority to make the decision.
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READ NOWAt the meeting, Mr Mackenzie said City officials were working on the submission, but councillors could have an input in order to be ‘comfortable’ with the report.
‘By the middle of September we will present the report or a draft proposal,’ he said.
‘What we have to put before the advisory board is a precise proposal, which is why that delegated authority clause is in it.
‘As much as possible I want the elected members to be comfortable with the boundaries.
‘I don’t have a clear sense at this time of where these boundaries could be but we should have a draft proposal by the middle of September which we can refine after council input.’
In recent weeks, the City of Melville and the Town of East Fremantle have both agreed to sign the MOU.