The Save Our Councils Coalition (SOCC) has announced a "Put the Liberals Last" campaign in the coming state byelections in NSW, with SOCC spokesperson Phil Jenkyn saying: "They [the Liberals] will be massacred in the North Shore byelection."
The group was responding on February 14 to the decision by Premier Gladys Berejiklian to push ahead with the forced amalgamations of 20 urban councils and continue to pursue the mergers of the five Sydney councils that are currently taking legal action against the plan.
In a partial backdown and attempt to save the necks of National Party MPs facing annihilation in rural and regional areas, the government has decided to abandon the six forced merger proposals in areas outside Sydney, including the merger of Wollongong and Shellharbour councils, and Newcastle and Port Stephens councils.
Greens MP and local government spokesperson David Shoebridge condemned the government's approach as a "half-baked response" and an "unprincipled compromise".
"If the Coalition is admitting it is wrong on forced council amalgamations in places like Oberon and Cabonne, then it can't pretend it is the right thing for millions of residents in the city," Shoebridge said.
In a statement issued on February 15, SOCC said: "So many agendas going on here, but where is the one about locals making local decisions about their local area?
"Berejiklian's much anticipated 'reset' on the toxic issue of forced council amalgamations has turned out to be more conceit than retreat.
"Far from soothing community angst and taking the political heat out of the issue, anti-amalgamation campaigners are threatening to raise hell at the forthcoming North Shore byelection.
"On the face of it, the announcement contains a blatant double standard.
"[Berejiklian] argued that proceeding with proposed mergers in the city was necessary to address housing affordability, reduce waste and cut the time it takes to approve development applications. That exposes [her] to accusations that she is simply doing the bidding of developer groups like the Property Council and Urban Development Institute of Australia."
In a statement issued prior to the government's announcement on February 14, Jenkyn said: “The government has no mandate and no real community support on this issue — the right thing to do is to simply withdraw.
“The premier has said she is listening to the community. Well the community is saying loud and clear across this state – we want our councils back!”
Premier Berejiklian's refusal to permit local democracy to operate may well be the beginning of the end of the Coalition government's hold on power.
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