council amalgamation

Some NSW councillors may have lost their jobs, but GMs are secure. Local Government Minister Paul Toole has confirmed all who aren’t named as interim GMs will start as deputies for new merged councils.

Council general managers who miss out on interim jobs at the helm of new merged councils may get ‘deputy’ jobs to avoid saddling ratepayers with the cost of paying out their entitlements.

NSW is pushing ahead with plans to slash the number of local councils, inviting council bosses to apply for “interim” general manager roles. Pay, performance management and other contract details are still undecided.

The Mandarin readers discuss closing the gap, whether to abolish councils altogether, and pick a fight over bullying in Defence APS.

Like Jeff Kennett’s before him in Victoria, Mike Baird’s council amalgamation across NSW is a wise move. It still leaves the state with many more local jurisdictions than down south.

Managing the people part of council amalgamation is one of, if not the most, significant challenges in any organisational transformation program.

Council general managers have a wide list of issues to consider when looking to merge with another council.