Regional Councils Attend NSW Government's Fit for the Future Information Session in Griffith
Wednesday October 1, 2014
An information session regarding the NSW Government’s Fit for the Future Reform Package will be held for mayors and general managers of Murrumbidgee-region councils in Griffith today, October 1, 2014.
The information session, to be held at the Griffith Leagues Club (Southside), is part of ongoing discussions over the past few months by the 18 member councils of the Riverina and Murray Regional Organisation of Councils, known as RAMROC.
In the Fit for the Future package, the NSW Government has allocated $5.3M in seed funding to encourage councils across regional NSW to form Joint Organisations. Under the terms of the reform package, up to 4 regional Joint Organisation pilots would be selected in November 2014, operational in February 2015, and formally established and operational by September 2016.
Ray Stubbs, RAMROC’s Executive Officer, said his organisation has proposed creating an overarching Joint Organisation, which would comprise the 18 RAMROC Councils in addition to three sub-regional groupings covering the Upper Murray, Mid-Murray and Murrumbidgee areas, with Griffith contained in the Murrumbidgee area.
“Our Councils now need to determine whether to keep advocating for the RAMROC model and lodge an Expression of Interest for a Pilot Study on that overarching and sub-grouping basis, or alternatively to consider a separate groups Joint Organisation model which accord with the Fit for the Future proposals and lodge a Pilot Study EOI for one or more of those groups,” Mr Stubbs said.
Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi, who will attend today’s information session with General Manager Brett Stonestreet, said Council hasn’t cast its vote yet as it continues to assess information and learn more from its neighbouring RAMROC Councils at the upcoming meeting.
“We have been conducting due diligence over the past 15-18 months, including participating in these important information sessions and workshops and initiating research so that we can best understand all the options available to us and make an informed decision,” Mayor Dal Broi said.
“We are also scheduled to attend the RAMROC roundtable meeting in early October to discuss the NSW Government’s package of proposals generally and in particular to canvass whether an Expression of Interest should be lodged for a Joint Organisation Pilot Study covering whole of the RAMROC region or for a smaller Joint Organisation covering part of the region.”
RAMROC is a collaborative partnership of the following member councils: Albury City, Balranald Shire, Berrigan Shire, Carrathool Shire, Conargo Shire, Corowa Shire, Deniliquin Council, Greater Hume Shire, Griffith City, Hay Sire, Jerilderie Shire, Leeton Shire, Murray Shire, Murrumbidgee Shire, Narrandera Shire, Urana Shire, Wakool Shire, and Wentworth Shire.
To learn more about RAMROC, please visit www.ramroc.org.au. To learn more about Fit for the Future, please visit http://www.fitforthefuture.nsw.gov.au/.
