Mosman's Future: Your Say

INDEPENDENCE OR AMALGAMATION - What kind of future do YOU want for Mosman?

In mid-September 2014 the NSW Government provided its response to the Final Report of the Independent Local Government Review Panel (ILGRP). Under the 'Fit For the Future' reform package announced as part of this response, all Councils in NSW are required to demonstrate how they intend to operate in the future, bearing in mind the recommendations of the ILGRP’s Final Report (published in October 2013), and according to other criteria determined by the State Government.

The issue of mergers is central to how each Council considers its 'fitness' for the future. This is because the ILGRP's final report recommended certain groupings of Councils across the State, with a particular emphasis on metropolitan Sydney. The Fit for the Future criteria established by the State government requires that these groupings be the starting point for each Council to demonstrate appropriate 'scale and capacity'.

Mosman Council has for many years advocated strongly for its independence and has recently affirmed its opposition to any forced amalgamation. Nonetheless, it is critical that Mosman Council is fully informed about current community sentiment on the amalgamation issue. With this information we will be better equipped to continue our ongoing deliberations about the best system of governance and the kind of local identity we want for Mosman's future.

(For an overview of the history leading up to 'Fit for the Future' and Council's efforts in relation to local government reform you can visit this page on Council's website. You can also visit the NSW Government's Fit for the Future website.)

At Council's meeting on 17 February 2015 it was agreed that four options for Mosman's future be released for community consultation. These range from continued independence to involvement in a 'mega merger' of six northern Sydney Councils.

Find out about these options here and take the opportunity to have your say through the easy-to-complete survey or discussion forum below.

The closing date for community feedback, including survey responses, is Thursday 2 April 2015.