Sunbury Residents Association president and long-time split campaigner Bernie O’Farrell says people ‘’won’t stand for’’ the transition auditors’ decision to recommend that the town remain a part of Hume.
Slamming the auditors’ report, which said the planned split was “too problematic”, Mr O’Farrell accused the state government of having already made its decision before launching the year-long review.
“All the evidence to support separation was there in the reports prepared for the previous panel,” he said.
In their report, auditors Frank Vincent and John Watson said they believed the previous financial advice prepared by three consultants affirmed that a Sunbury council was unlikely to be financially sustainable in the short or long term without significant financial assistance, high rates and/or reduced services.
Mr O’Farrell maintained the case for the split was concrete.
“We don’t accept that the auditors’ conclusions are based on factual evidence,’’ he said.
Mr O’Farrell repeated claims made by Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn that the government was bowing to pressure from unions.
“The government was very much influenced by the Australian Services Union in all this,’’ he said.
“They’d made up their minds right from day one.’’
Mr O’Farrell said pro-split supporters would keep fighting for an independent Sunbury, regardless of Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins’ eventual decision.
“The people will not accept this. The campaign will continue even if it takes the election of a new government in three and a half years’ time.’’
Flabbergasted
Sunbury-based Hume councillor Jack Medcraft said he was flabbergasted by the government’s arrogance.
“This was an absolute charade,” he said.
“We were conned. They knew exactly what they wanted.”
Cr Medcraft repeated his concern that the auditors did not take into account the government’s plans to cap council rates and $30 million raised from the sale of land in Racecourse Road.
“We’ve been held to ransom by unions to pay for Craigieburn’s Labor domination.”
“Time to move on”
Fellow Sunbury-based councillor Ann Potter said she hoped people would move on.
“The report vindicates what I’ve been saying for 12-18 months,’’ she said.
“At the end of the day, you can make anything viable but you have to do it by increasing rates significantly or cutting services.
‘’We’ve been governing with uncertainty for too long. We want to get on with things like planning the new global learning centre.
“There’s been enough delays.’’
Hume chief executive Domenic Isola said the council held serious concerns about the process undertaken by the previous government.
“Council expressed its concerns to the former government on a number of occasions, especially in regards to the timeframes imposed, the process of asset distribution, the obligations and costs imposed on the community and the significant impact to staff,” Mr Isola said.
“We welcome the acknowledgement of these issues by the transition auditors in their report.’’
Both Mr Isola and mayor Adem Atmaca urged the government to make its final decision quickly.
