Back in 1993-94, the Victorian state government, with Jeff Kennett as Premier, came up with the idea that "Bigger is Better" when it came to local council size.
I was living at Glenaroua in the Pyalong council at the time. Pyalong was the smallest council in the state, but on all key metrics, it ranked among the top five councils. This didn't fit the government's argument. Their solution was to take Pyalong off of all of the KPI lists. I was one of the few people who noticed.
I pointed this out to an ABC radio journalist friend.
"Surely not!" was her response.
"Check it out," I replied. She did, and still couldn't believe that the government would be so deceitful. Of course, this sort of behaviour is now the "norm" for politicians and bureaucrats everywhere.
During the course of the government's amalgamation campaign, I wrote to The Age in response to their 30 December 1993 editorial.
Small is beautiful for Pyalong council
from Lloyd Borrett
In your editorial (30/12) you said, "The whole point of council amalgamation is to achieve economies by sharing services and resources." I just wish that was true.
The council of Pyalong is one of the smallest in the state. It’s well run and provides the services and facilities ratepayers want at a price they are prepared to pay. The council is financially sound and the rates are low. Council policy is creating a unique lifestyle within easy reach of Melbourne.
The adjoining councils (eg Broadford, Kilmore, Mclvor, Seymour) are much larger. They often overspend on services and facilities only a small minority of ratepayers actually use. Generally, these councils are mismanaged, debt-ridden and have rates typically 50 per cent or more higher than Pyalong. Most of these councils have in place policies that are creating ugly satellite suburbs for Melbourne. Yes, they are "basket cases" and they do need saving.
But who will benefit when in the course of implementing this new "best-practice" policy of council amalgamation, Pyalong council becomes a minor part of a much larger council? It will not be the ratepayers and residents of Pyalong. The Pyalong ratepayers will lose their influence over policy and inherit the debts of the larger council(s). History teaches us that the Pyalong ratepayers will end up with huge rate increases, see their services reduced and their facilities gradually fall into disrepair.
Forced amalgamation is not the answer when some of the smaller councils are the best managed. Sometimes smaller is better. The problem is that few state politicians and bureaucratic local government empire builders have enough common sense to realise this.
Lloyd Borrett,
Glenaroua.