Resist amalgamations, residents told

Colin Crome told an audience of about 200: "If this amalgamation goes ahead, remember the name Bob Carr and do not vote Labor."

He received rousing cheers from the parochial crowd. Earlier, Mr Crome spoke of a section of the NSW Crimes Act that makes it an offence for a person to obtain a financial benefit by deception.

Mr Crome then accused the State Government of attempting to do just that through amalgamations. He urged residents to stand firm and fight for what was right. It was sometimes appropriate to hang on to what you had in the face of what was labelled progress, he said.

He was one of about a dozen locals who spoke at the meeting chaired by Macquarie Regional Review facilitator Chris Vardon. Other speakers included Len Rogers, Tim Bush from Cowra, Gerry Harris, George Tanos, Irine Morgan, Mayor John Davis, Max Jackson, John Sutton, Cr Ted Wilson, Joan Mitchell and Cr Bruce Kingham

Mr Vardon is charged with reviewing the structural reform submissions of Lithgow, Oberon, Evans, Rylstone and Bathurst councils and making a recommendation to Local Government Minister Tony Kelly.

Blayney resident Don Sutton captured the mood of meeting when he asked members of the audience opposed to any amalgamation to raise their hands. Almost everyone responded. He then turned to Mr Vardon and said: "Then write this down. Bugger-off, Bob."

Local businessman George Tanos said Blayney Council had contributed significantly to the success of his business through assistance and co-operation shown over many years. He was sure he would not have received this level of support from a larger city council. he asked that the strategic alliance that Blayney Council is a member of be given a chance to work.

Similarly, when the local abattoir closed several years ago, the council made extensive efforts to attract new business and industry to the shire. A larger city council would not have bothered, he said.

He, too, urged Mr Vardon to tell the State Government to leave Blayney Council to stand alone.

Mr Vardon made it clear he was not the final arbiter". `All I do is write a report for the Minister."

To those who believed his report had already been written, he said: "I do not know what will be in my report. I will not know until the meetings are over." He will accept written submissions up to close of business, February 27, sent to: Macquarie Regional Review, Locked Bag A5045, Sydney South, 1235. After the meeting John Davis who also gave an impassioned but tongue in cheek speech listing a long list things that needed to be done and then declaring "we've done them" said he was still confident that Blayney would stay a council in its own right.

Cabonne'safe'

CABONNE Council is safe from the prospect of any amalgamation with neighbouring councils, Mayor John Farr believes.

In a mayoral, minute at council's meeting on Monday, Cr Farr told his fellow councillors there was no way Cabonne would be swallowed up by Orange or Cowra councils.

He based his comments on the experience of 10 councils in the Southern Tablelands and Monaro, areas Coorna-Monaro, Crookwell, Goulburn, Gunning, Mulwaree, Queanbeyan, Tallaganda, Tumut, Yarrowlumla and Yass. Earlier this month the Local Government Minister Tony Kelly announced these 10 councils would be merged into seven.

Cr Farr said of the newly formed councils, five had a smaller population base than Cabonne, all had a smaller area than Cabonne and five earned less rates revenue than Cabonne.