sunbury
Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell visited Sunbury last week, clearing up some of the many questions surrounding her decision to let the town and some of its neighbouring districts split from Hume council.
Accompanied by two of her three-person Sunbury project panel, the minister outlined the way forward for the next four months. The panel’s report is due by the end of June, preceded by the consultative committee’s recommendations at the end of April.
Mrs Powell also cleared up the timing of the first election for the new council, “whatever it’s going to be called”, as 2016 – when local government next goes to the polls.
She promised the two realigned municipalities, Hume and “whatever it’s to be called”, would be fairly divided, with assets and services apportioned so both areas would be sustainable.
The minister said issues about whether the new municipality would be called Sunbury, or whether it would include districts such as Diggers Rest, which is part of Melton municipality, were up to people to raise in their submissions to the panel and, ultimately, for the panel to decide.
“All these decisions will be made by the panel, which is why it was so important we got the membership right,” Mrs Powell said.
Panel head Brian Haratsis accompanied the minister, who was also with Kelvin Spillar, acting chief executive of Wangaratta council, another municipality Mrs Powell has had to use state muscle to sort.
Third panel member Maxine Cooper was unable to attend.
Mrs Powell stressed the importance of local input to the community consultation, which will be chaired by upper house MP Amanda Millar, who joined the minister in Sunbury.
Close liaison between the panel and the present Hume council and its administration was “absolutely instrumental” to the successful transition, Mrs Powell said.
She said she would appoint up to eight locals to work with Ms Millar as a community committee on consultation that would include public forums and written as well as oral submissions.
“Our intention is that it be business as usual with as little disruption as possible,” Mrs Powell said.
HG
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… dtpli.vic.gov.au/localgovernment
