AS ANXIOUS as Port Stephens residents are the mayor, Cr Bruce MacKenzie, said no news was good news on the merger review front.
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“Hopefully this means they’re looking very closely at the Dungog-Port Stephens option,” he said.
“But residents are very anxious to know because we don’t want to be chewed up by Newcastle.”
The Minister for Local Government Paul Toole is yet to receive the report on the suitability of a Port Stephens-Dungog merger, almost a month after the cutoff for public comment.
Inquiry delegate Peter Peppin conducted hearings in Raymond Terrace, Nelson Bay and Dungog to as part of the review and accepted written submissions up until June 26.
“No decision has been made on the merger proposal,” a spokesman from the Minister’s office said.
“The Minister is awaiting the reports of the Boundaries Commission and the Independent Delegate, ahead of any decision.”
Cr MacKenzie said it was a waiting game now albeit painful.
He’s personally written letters to various ministers and Liberal party chiefs.
If a merger is announced an administrator will assume control of the subject councils.
“Five days out of seven people stop me in the street and say ‘please don’t let us go with Newcastle,” Cr MacKenzie said.
“In the meantime we’re still marching on and making our own decisions and our staff are still doing good work.”
As for the detail of the report it would seem that it won’t be released ahead of time. That’s despite assurances from the Minister’s spokesman that concerns and feedback are being thoroughly considered.
“The Boundaries Commission will review the Delegates’ reports before [the reports] are publicly available,” he said.
