A petition with 479 signatures was sent to the Minister for Local Government Paul Toole that asks him to instead amend the Port Stephens Council boundaries to include Clarence Town and its surrounds.

This is separate from the merger review process.

A further 508 people from Dungog signed a similar petition, sent to Mr Toole under the same cover letter, which sought to include the entire Williams River valley in the Port Stephens Council area.

Both petitions surpassed 250-name minimum to have the Boundaries Commission consider the proposal under section 218E of the Local Government Act.

“We ask that you deal with this proposal as a matter of urgency, as it is very relevant to the consideration of the government’s merger proposals,” Clarence Town Progress Association president Brian Farmer wrote in the cover letter.

“Representatives of Port Stephens Council have advised that it would look favourably to changing the boundary in the manner outlined.” 

Mr Farmer told the Examiner the petition should be taken as a strong reflection of the community’s wish.

“I think the Delegate assessing the separate process for a possible Dungog and Gloucester amalgamation has heard the message loud and clear,” he said.

“Absent any political interference in the process, I hope that the Boundaries Commission will support the changes requested.”

Dungog resident Lisa Connors co-signed the letter to Mr Toole.

She recently spoke at a Dungog Shire Council meeting earlier this month about the advantages.

Despite this Dungog resolved to stand alone and stand alone. 

“With the demise of the timber industry and serious decline of the dairy industry, our shire has tried to promote tourism,” Mrs Connors said.

“A partnership with Port Stephens Council would have many benefits including marketing, ‘from the coast to the Barringtons’, that would allow Dungog to tap into the much larger tourism funding base.

“The two areas do not compete; they complement each other.”