Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council has received approval to proceed with its long-sought demerger.
The Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, announced today that the council will split into two separate entities, reversing a controversial 2016 forced amalgamation.
Mayor Abb McAlister met with the Minister in Gundagai earlier today, where the Boundaries Commission and Public Inquiry reports were released, paving the way for the dissolution process.
The Council will now establish a transition management office to work out the specifics of separating assets, liabilities, staffing, and governance arrangements between the two future councils.
Minister Hoenig spoke bluntly about the original merger, stating: “Cootamundra and Gundagai are two councils that should never have been merged” and describing the previous government’s amalgamation policy as “a ruse.”
The decision follows years of community opposition to the merger, with the Council having documented significant financial burdens resulting from the forced amalgamation.