Following the passing of legislation in the NSW Parliament last December, councils can now voluntarily join new Joint Organisations (JOs).
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The aim of the JOs is to “strengthen regional coordination and improve the delivery of infrastructure and services ... through strategic planning, collaboration and shared leadership and advocacy” and tonight Nambucca Shire councillors will vote on whether to sign up.
The recommendation is to be part of what will be called the Joint Organisation of Mid North Coast Councils (JOMNCC), made up of Clarence Valley Council, Coffs Harbour City Council, Bellingen Shire Council, Nambucca Shire Council, Kempsey Shire Council and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
In his report the General Manager, Michael Coulter, writes the council’s resolution is a critical part of the process to getting JO areas recommended to the Governor to enable proclamation.
“The potential benefits of closer cooperation across Council boundaries have been proven in a number of recent initiatives. For example, it has been the case that this Council has benefited from economies of scale with its joint waste service with Coffs Harbour and Bellingen Councils,” Mr Coulter said.
“More recently the informal alliance of Bellingen Shire Council and this Council in negotiating the Pacific Highway handover from the RMS has certainly demonstrated the benefit of collective lobbying when negotiating with the RMS.”
While the benefits are potentially many, he also highlighted items that he felt should be on a “watching brief”.
They include:
* the potential conflict of interests of councillors operating at both a local and regional level leading to parochialism.
* conflicting perspectives as to the appropriate role of a JO.
* differing capacities of councils to commit resources to the JO.
* lack of commitment from the State Government to supporting JO and
* the achievements of the JO not justifying the substantial financial commitment made by the participating councils.
The annual cost of membership is estimated at $42,000, quite an increase on the $10,000 the council has historically contributed to MIDROC (Mid North Coast Regional Organisation of Councils).
The meeting starts at 5.30pm in the council’s chambers in Macksville.