THE State Government’s attempt to kill off the City of Cockburn, a council that has won awards for many of its programs, is one more example of the Tall Poppy Syndrome.
For years now, Cockburn council has it right with the various services it offers to all age groups within its borders, plus special services for the disabled, support for community groups and sporting clubs and its care for the environment.
These show up all the shortcomings of other council areas, whose lack of interest in their ratepayers can be seen by the letters and articles in local newspapers.
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READ NOWIf ever a State Government decision needs to be put to a referendum, amalgamation of local government areas is it.
This push to disenfranchise citizens by making local government areas bigger and the number of elected representatives on councils too few must be resisted.
With less grassroots representation, there will be less consideration of community needs. More attention will be given to what the property developers want. They must already be drooling at the prospect of all the pickings without ratepayers’ interference.
Reducing cost by combined area-wide services is just one justification for the amalgamations. However, this is already done in many aspects of community services between council areas throughout the whole metropolitan area.
JAN de GROOTE, Hamilton Hill