Councils differ over amalgamation plan

Belmont acting chief executive Ric Lutey said the City was seeking an agreement from Kalamunda for equal representation for two electoral terms as a condition to going forward with a joint proposal.

However, Kalamunda chief executive Rhonda Hardy said Belmont’s proposed structure would not be in the best interest of electors as it would not result in a one-vote-one value system that underpinned a ‘true democracy’.

During the 2011 National Census, the City of Belmont had an estimated population of 35,209 people, while the Shire of Kalamunda had about 53,567.

Kalamunda also covers 349sq km, making it almost nine times the size of Belmont.