MOSMAN Park mayor Brett Pollock wants neighbouring Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove councils to merge their mower and truck operations into his Town’s McCabe Street depot to expand resource sharing and cost cutting.
“This is part of my plan as the new mayor of Mosman Park to work co-operatively with our neighbours,” Mr Pollock said.
He said it was not a move to re-ignite any talk of full council mergers, which were “off the cards”, but was part of starting a “new era” of co-operation between Mosman Park, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and Claremont councils.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW“We’re just looking at the feasibility as to whether Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove could be involved in a joint depot, but would not make it bigger,” he said.
He said a mower used by a council for 300 hours a year could be the same machine used by three councils 900 hours a year.
The councils already share some planning, fee paying, library and waste management services.
Cottesloe has rented a Fremantle site since it sold its Nailsworth Street depot for $9.1 million in 2013, but it restarted talks about sharing McCabe Street several months ago.
Peppermint Grove’s name is new in the proposal to use McCabe Street, and president Rachel Thomas was unaware of the suggestion when contacted.
“If Brett wants to float that idea we’ll have that discussion. We could be interested in exploring it,” Mrs Thomas said.
She ruled out mergers because the four councils had different town planning schemes and her council wanted its own strategic direction.
However, Claremont mayor Jock Barker, whose council benefits from increased rates from public transport-orientated high-rise, said getting each of the four councils in a similar financial position would open the opportunity for mergers.
Claremont got rid of its depot and Mr Barker said there would be no interest in a shared facility because outdoor staff now operated from vans and other duties were outsourced.
Cottesloe mayor Phil Angers said he doubted his council would take on any merger discussions when it was already dealing with major projects such as the foreshore and town centre refurbishments, a skate park, bicycle paths and the depot talks.
All the councils’ councillors will meet at post-election gathering at Peppermint Grove council on Thursday.
MORE: Baldivis student Jordon Steele-John becomes Australia’s youngest senator after High Court confirmation MORE: Decision to stop horses using Hillarys beach overturned MORE: Police charge man with murder after baby death