Taken from the ABC website:
Report casts doubt on council amalgamations
Posted October 9, 2009 14:42:00
Updated October 9, 2009 14:53:00
Updated October 9, 2009 14:53:00
Max Trenorden says it's hard to see any benefits from council amalgamations. (ABC TV)
A report compiled by a Liberal and a National MP has cast doubt on any benefits stemming from local council amalgamations.
The Member for South West, Nigel Hallett, and the Member for the Agricultural region, Max Trenorden, have released a report criticising the Government's push for amalgamations. The MPs travelled to South Australia and Queensland to investigate council amalgamations there.
Mr Trenorden says they found some councils should have remained unaltered.
"There is no clear short term or medium term benefits in any amalgamations that we saw in Queensland or South Australia," he said.
"There are some benefits in the long term but there is a fair bit of pain to get there.
"Each amalgamation is going to cost about two million dollars. The state is not likely to pay that so taxpayers or rate payers are likely to pay that. Queenslands rates went up seven and a half per cent last year and they are projected to go up to that this year."
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