Queanbeyan 'shaped' council boundaries

At a meeting at Nerriga on Wednesday Goulburn Mulwaree Council GM Warwick Bennett told the crowd that his Queanbeyan City counterpart had a direct bearing on the proposed Goulburn Mulwaree/ part Palerang merger.

“I won’t hold back,” Mr Bennett said in reponse to a question.

“I was told the the boundary was drawn up 0by the general manager of Queanbeyan City Council after receiving a request from the Department of Premier and Cabinet (to do so).”

Asked after the meeting how he knew this, Mr Bennett said the Queanbeyan GM, Peter Tegart had told him. 

He claimed Mr Tegart relayed the same conversation to Palerang Shire general manager Peter Bascomb.

Mr Bennett said the request had occurred some time between last year’s November 18 deadline for councils’ final proposals and December 20, when the government announced the suggested boundaries.

It meant Queanbeyan would receive a large chunk of Palerang Shire, including the growth area of Bungendore.

Goulburn Mulwaree was then slated to receive Braidwood, Nerriga, Mongarlowe and areas to the south, including Araluen town.

Goulburn is vehemently opposing the plan, saying it offers no financial benefit.

But Mr Tegart has denied such a conversation ever took place.

“I’ve had no discussion with the general manager (Mr Bennett), the Minister or the Department to influence the boundaries,” he told the Post.

“All of our documents that have been provided to the Department are in the public domain. Council was looking at a boundary adjustment up until last November and authorised the Mayor and I to hold discussions. But then it decided to stand alone.”

Mr Tegart stressed his council had not finalised a position on the preferred boundary and might not do so until after Wednesday.

Councillors and general managers from all three councils are meeting today at Bungendore. Public inquiries are also being held this week.

Palerang backs claims

Mr Bascomb backed Mr Bennett’s claims.

“Peter Tegart has said to me that the State Government asked him for a map and he subsequently provided it,” he said.

He could not say which government arm was involved but cited the same November-December timeframe for the request.

While not specifically speaking about Queanbeyan, he said broadly, the final proposals had very little resemblance to the Minister’s initial promises.

“We were told that the splitting up of councils was never on the table, yet several, including Palerang and Warringah, have been split in an illogical way,” he said.

“Right up until November, we were told the only option we had to consider was a full merger with Queanbeyan.

“So the question for the Department of Premier and Cabinet is what has happened to make this go from such an ordered process to a political one, right across the State?

“Queanbeyan has become involved whether innocently or not.”

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the Department of Premier and Cabinet said:

“In the short time since we received this inquiry, the Department has not been able to locate any record of contact with a representative from Queanbeyan Council between November 15 2015 and December 20, 2015 regarding the drafting of its preferred boundary for local government reform.” Queanbeyan Mayor Tim Overall had not responded to requests for comment by the time of going to press.

Barilaro bags border

Mayor Geoff Kettle told the Nerriga meeting that Monaro MP John Barilaro, whose seat covers Queanbeyan and part of Palerang, was not happy with the boundary proposed in December.

Mr Barilaro, a former councillor, attended a community-initiated meeting at Araluen on January 31, at which Cr Kettle was guest speaker.

“He (Mr Barilaro) got up and said, and I quote, ‘I can pretty well guarantee you that that this won’t be the final boundary.’ He doesn’t like it and neither does our local member (Pru Goward). They are both working for us,” he said.

Mr Bennett told the Post the State’s proposal was handed down without any consultation with Goulburn Mulwaree Council.

“We’re disappointed because we advocated for reform but Palerang, Queanbeyan, Yass Valley and Upper Lachlan Councils all lodged ‘stand alone’ submissions to the State Government.

“So I think we should have been given the courtesy of input into this proposal.”

At a November 11 council meeting, the Queanbeyan Mayor opposed a motion to stand alone. “I think this is head-in-the-sand,” the Canberra Times reported Cr Overall as saying.

“I can’t support a motion that doesn’t at least give some latitude… It’s detrimental to Queanbeyan and to the wider region in view of what is likely to occur, a merger,” he said.

He put forward a motion, supported by two other councillors, for Queanbeyan to merge with part of Palerang. 

However it was defeated and the council went ahead with its stand alone submission.

Some 50 people attended the Goulburn Mulwaree hosted consultation meeting at the Nerriga Progress Association hall.

A resident raised the possibility of interference in the reform process.

“Has anyone studied the Minister’s proposal to see what areas have been left out and why and looked at the real agenda?” she asked.

“I know what you’re saying and you’re right,” Mayor Geoff Kettle replied

“I have my suspicions but I won’t voice them publicly, but I think outside influences have been brought to bear.”

It was at this point Mr Bennett said he “wouldn’t hold back.” Cr Kettle told the crowd that one only had to look at the councils in this area deemed ‘unfit for the future’ but were left untouched.

Earlier, he said the State had done a “180 degree backflip” by initially saying partial mergers were not on the table but then doing the opposite.

“I believe political interference from a lot of nervous MPs has cocked this process up,” Cr Kettle said.