Government snubbed over boundary reforms
The State Government's blueprint for metropolitan local government reform could be history just months after it was released, with councils rejecting the proposed map and submitting alternative plans.
The deadline for council submissions to the Local Government Advisory Board ended yesterday but there is no more certainty on what the final outcome will look like.
When Local Government Minister Tony Simpson revealed plans to slash Perth's local governments from 30 to 14, he declared only "minor tweaking" of map boundaries would be considered and invited councils to submit proposals that "conformed" to his map.
But in clear defiance, several councils have lodged submissions that differ significantly from the Government's plans and others have refused to submit at all.
The advisory board, an independent body tasked with determining local government boundaries, said all submissions would be considered regardless of conformity to the minister's map.
Board chairman Mel Congerton said every submission would be assessed on its own merits.
Mr Congerton said this might mean the board's final recommendations looked nothing like the proposed blueprint.
"Whatever proposals we receive, we will deal with those proposals," he said.
"If they are in line with the blueprint that's all well and good but our board is not predicated down the blueprint line."
It is understood six of the seven western suburbs councils have refused to make a submission.
The City of South Perth and the Town of Victoria Park are the only councils that will lodge a joint submission broadly consistent with State Government plans, but the councils will only merge under a condition that Burswood remain - a condition the minister has previously ruled out.
The Town of Bassendean and the City of Swan have lodged a joint submission to amalgamate, rejecting proposals to merge with Bayswater and Mundaring.
The cities of Perth, Stirling and Armadale propose boundaries that differ from the blueprint, while the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, the Town of Cambridge and the cities of Vincent and Fremantle made submissions different from blueprint.
Cottesloe mayor Kevin Morgan said the whole process was a "shambles" and many local councils had lost faith in the process.
The minister did not respond to inquiries.
