‘Outrage’ at Simpson

This is despite Local Government Minister Tony Simpson saying he had taken on board feedback from mayors prior to submitting a proposal to the Local Government Advisory Board (LGAB).

‘Our council is outraged,’ Mr Howlett said.

‘There was no consultation with City of Cockburn, and certainly no hint that was going to happen.’

While Local Government Minister Tony Simpson didn’t say specifically whether he had spoken to Mr Howlett about the move, he did say he had ‘adopted a suggestion’ from a group of local governments, presumably Fremantle and Melville who are set to benefit from the carve-up.

‘Over the past four months, I have talked to mayors, CEOs, my colleagues, residents, industry bodies, WALGA, the LGMA and other groups and individuals about reform,’ he said.

Cockburn MLA Fran Logan said the proposed split of Australia’s most sustainable city for 2012 was in direct contradiction to the initial reasons the Government gave for local government reform.

‘The Barnett Government’s reasons for local government reform are to create councils in the metropolitan region that are efficient, sustainable, financially viable and are able to control their rate bases,’ he said.

‘All of the factors that have made Cockburn one of the most awarded local governments in Australia.

‘So now, as part of the so- called reform process, the Government cuts up a financially viable council and hands bits of it over to councils that have not performed anywhere near as effectively as Cockburn.

‘How can this be called ‘reform’.’