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Proposal to create a new St George Local Government Area

20/06/2024

A Mayoral Minute is going to the next meeting of Georges River Council to propose an amendment to the NSW Government of the boundaries of the Georges River Local Government Area (LGA) to incorporate part of the Bayside LGA and form a new St George LGA.

It is also proposing extending the boundary that currently splits Riverwood to make the M5 the new boundary line.
 
The proposal has been instigated following the Bayside Council resolution on 27 March 2024, to prepare a business case to consider the merits of de-amalgamating the Bayside LGA back into City of Rockdale LGA and City of Botany Bay LGA.
 
The proposal requests the NSW Boundaries Commission examine the merits of amending the boundaries of the current Georges River LGA to incorporate the proposed de-amalgamated Rockdale LGA to create a new St George LGA.
 
Decisions about the boundaries of Local Government Areas are made by the Local Government Boundaries Commission under the Local Government Act.
 
Under the Act the Boundaries Commission has to consider specific factors when considering the boundaries of an LGA. They must consider the;
 

  • financial advantages or disadvantages (including the economies or diseconomies of scale) of any relevant proposal to the residents and ratepayers of the areas concerned.

  • community of interest and geographic cohesion in the existing areas and in any proposed new area.

  • existing historical and traditional values in the existing areas and the impact of change on them.

  • attitude of the residents and ratepayers of the areas concerned.

  • requirements of the area concerned in relation to elected representation for residents and ratepayers at the local level, the desirable and appropriate relationship between elected representatives and ratepayers and residents and such other matters as it considers relevant in relation to the past and future patterns of elected representation for that area.

  • impact of any relevant proposal on the ability of the councils of the areas concerned to provide adequate, equitable and appropriate services and facilities.

  • impact of any relevant proposal on the employment of the staff by the councils of the areas concerned.

  • the need to ensure that the opinions of each of the diverse communities of the resulting area or areas are effectively represented, in the case of a proposal for the amalgamation of two or more areas.

  • other factors as it considers relevant to the provision of efficient and effective local government in the existing and proposed new areas.

In putting forward the proposal Georges River Mayor, Sam Elmir, has highlighted the new proposed LGA contains the entirety of the St George Area. “It is a historically significant area and a single community of interest with overlapping community, sporting and cultural organisations.”
 
“The proposed St George LGA is geographically cohesive as there are no natural barriers creating significant divisions or separations within the area.”
 
In 2016 the NSW Government commenced a series of amalgamations across NSW with the focus of amalgamating small LGAs into medium and large sized LGAs to ensure financial sustainability into the future.
 
As a result of these amalgamations, the Georges River LGA was created by amalgamating the former Hurstville City Council and Kogarah City Council LGAs, and the Bayside LGA was created by amalgamating the former Rockdale City Council and the City of Botany Bay LGAs.
 
The community can tune in for the live broadcast of the Council meeting via the broadcast link on the Georges River Council website.
 
There is the opportunity for anyone to register to speak at the Council meeting on this matter by visiting the Request to Speak at Council and Committee meetings page on the website.