Background
Bayside Council is currently undergoing community consultation to gauge sentiment on a proposed de-amalgamation of Bayside Council. This community consultation comes after a desktop business case was presented to Council with an estimated cost of $50 million to de-amalgamate.
The community consultation will allow Council to determine whether the community is in favour of beginning the legal process to de-amalgamate, of which the first step would be a Business Case at the cost of approximately $250,000 – $300,000.
Council is currently undertaking an independent phone survey of 400 residents through an external research organisation to gather official data. A complementary survey is being conducted on Council’s Have Your Say platform to allow the community the opportunity to have their say on the matter.
The insights from the independent survey will be presented to Council, who will then decide whether the process continues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Council resolves to develop a Business Case.
- Council develops a Business Case which includes financial implications, service delivery capacity and long-term strategic plans.
- Council consults with community on the Business Case.
- Council considers community consultation submissions and, if supported, resolves to request a referendum.
- The Business Case and community consultation results are sent to the Minister for Local Government in request for a referendum.
- The Minister for Local Government forwards the Business Case to the Local Government Boundaries Commission for examination.
- The Boundaries Commission assesses the Business Case and may support, reject or recommend an alternative boundary, and submits their report to the Minister for Local Government.
- The Minister for Local Government must release the Boundaries Commission report to the public within 48 hours.
- The Minister for Local Government undertakes consultation with the NSW Electoral Commission.
- The Minister for Local Government responds to Council’s request to hold a referendum, either approving, rejecting, or supporting an amendment to the proposal.
- Referendum to be held (within 12 months of the Ministerial approval).
- Proclamation
At current estimates, the cost will be approximately $50 million dollars.
The NSW Government will cover $5 million dollars. The remainder will be raised by the community by rates and other charges.
This will be determined by the Business Case.
The process is comprehensive and there is no set timeline. As the process is newly legislated there is no previous comparative examples to estimate the timeline.
Local Government Amendment (De-amalgamations) Bill 2024 (nsw.gov.au)
The desktop business case outlined the estimated financial implications and estimated performance projections.
The report is available to view here, under Item 10.7: https://infoweb.bayside.nsw.gov.au/Open/2024/05/CO_22052024_AGN_4474_AT_EMBEDDED.PDF
The Business Case includes:
- Community consultation that shows support for de-amalgamation
- A Council resolution supporting de-amalgamation
- The financial impacts of the de-amalgamation
- How the amalgamated Council will finance the de-amalgamation
- Details on whether a grant or loan from the NSW Government with assumed amounts and terms
- An estimate of the rates and charges or levies post- de-amalgamation
- Details of the future sustainability, long-term strategic plans and service delivery capacity of the proposed Councils
A de-amalgamation of Bayside Council would restore the former City of Botany Bay and Rockdale Council to their original local government areas. Council's Business Case will propose that new elections would occur to elect new councillors for each area, and they would function as two independent local government organisations.
The current resolution is to gauge community interest before commencing the legal de-amalgamation process. The first step of the formal process would be to develop a Business Case, which is estimated to cost approximately $250,000 to $300,000.
The results of the independent survey will be presented to Council, who will then decide whether to proceed with the legal de-amalgamation process.
Council is currently undertaking an independent phone survey of 400 residents through an external research organisation to measure community sentiment regarding de-amalgamation. Council is also conducting an open community consultation to allow all residents to have their say about the de-amalgamation. These consultations are intended to gauge community interest before proceeding with the legal de-amalgamation process.
Translations
Mandarin
Simplified Chinese translation:
用你的语言发表你的意见
我们的“发表你的意见”网站上的所有信息都可以轻松翻译。请访问haveyoursay.bayside.nsw.gov.au，然后单击“English”按钮以选择你的语言并参与。
Nepali
ह्याभ योर से इन योर ल्याङ्गवेज अर्थात तपाईको भाषामा तपाईको भनाई राख्नुहोस्
ह्याभ योर सेवेबसाईटमा भएका सबै जानकारिहरु सजिलै अनुवाद गर्न सकिन्छ ।
haveyoursay.bayside.nsw.gov.au वेवसाईटमा जानुहोस् र तपाईको भाषा छान्न र सहभागि हुन‘English’ ‘इङ्गलिश’ लेखिएकोमा ठाउँमा थिच्नुहोस् ।
Cantonese
用您自己的語言來发表您的意見
在我們的 ‘发表您的意見‘ 網站上，所有的信息都可以輕鬆翻譯。
訪問haveyoursay.bayside.nsw.gov.au 并点击 ‘English’ 按钮，然后选择您的语言即可参
与。
Greek
Πείτε την Γνώμη σας στη Γλώσσα σας
Όλες οι πληροφορίες στο Πείτε τη Γνώμη σας στο ιστότοπό μας μπορούν εύκολα να μεταφραστούν.
Επισκεφτείτε το haveyoursay.bayside.nsw.gov.au και πατήστε το κουμπί ‘English’ για να επιλέξετε τη γλώσσα σας και να συμμετάσχετε.
Arabic
أدلي برأيك بلغتك الخاصة.
من السهل ترجمة جميع المعلومات المتوفرة على صفحة: " Have Your Say - أدلي برأيك".
قم بزيارة الموقع التالي haveyoursay.bayside.nsw.gov.au/ واضغط على زر ’الانجليزي‘ لاختيار لغتك والمشاركة.
