Option 2 - Mosman Council 'mega merger' with North Sydney, Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Willoughby and part of Ryde Council
What does this mean?
The six councils would be merged into one organisation, with one elected Council and a centralised administration and service delivery.
Mosman ceases to exist as a local government area, becoming part of a much larger local area. A merger of the six councils would result in an overall area of approximately 84.8 km.
The combined population of the new local government area would be over 295,000, which would be 10 times the population of Mosman. The ILGRP has estimated that this population will rise to 365,400 by 2031.
The likely location for an amalgamated Council would be in a large centre such as North Sydney or Chatswood.
Some factors to consider
The 'scale and capacity' criteria put forward by the NSW Government and the ILGRP as being appropriate to local government could be met.
The coordination of major regional planning and delivery of regional infrastructure projects may be easier and/or more efficient in one larger organisation.
However, neither the ILGRP nor the NSW Government has provided a business case for this proposal.
It is understood that this option is not supported by any of the six councils.
Mosman's local identity could be lost or much diminished as part of such a large area.
The Mosman community would have little say in the determinations of this mega council. The amalgamated area would be governed by one group of elected Councillors up to a maximum of 15 elected members with minimal Mosman representation.
Services and service levels across local government areas differ, and could be expected to be moderated across an amalgamated area.
Significant short-medium term disruptions to operations, along with significant cost, are likely as an amalgamated Council is established.
