City fears merger debt

The Stirling Council resolved to keep its boundaries unchanged with the exception of parts of Churchlands, parts of Wembley and Wembley Downs, which would be lost through conceding everything south of Hale Road.

Stirling Mayor David Boothman said the City voted to exclude parts of Vincent from its proposal due to the possible debt it would face as well as the backlash from Vincent residents at the proposal of moving to Stirling.

‘We cannot ignore the views of the Vincent community and in turn, it is hoped that the City of Bayswater will similarly respect the wishes of the residents in the suburbs of Mt Lawley, Inglewood, and parts of Dianella and Menora, who wish to stay in Stirling, in their submission to the Local Government Advisory Board,’ he said.

The City had listened to local residents and decided to seek a more natural boundary than the one proposed by the State Government.

‘It has always been the intention of the City to fight to retain its boundaries and this was reflected in our submission to the Local Government Advisory Board,’ he said.

The submission stated the Stirling Council would lose more than 10 per cent of its rate income.

‘Under the State Government proposal, the City of Stirling would lose approximately 10.83 per cent of its rate income. If this debt and associated running costs are also inherited by the City, this would have a major impact on the City of Stirling’s financial sustainability,’ he said.