A delegation from Federation Council will attend a local government demerger meeting later this month, but mayor Pat Bourke says it's not a sign a split is being pursued by his municipality.
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Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council has organised what it has called a demerger roundtable for January 29 and invited Federation as well as the NSW Local Government Minister, MPs and representatives of Snowy Valleys, Hilltops and Snowy Monaro councils.
All municipalities were formed from mergers pushed by the state government in 2016, with Cootamundra-Gundagai and Snowy Valleys pursuing splits.
Cr Bourke, who will be joined by his council's general manager Adrian Butler and fellow councillor David Fahey, at the Gundagai meeting, said he saw it as a chance to argue for financial help rather than be a demerger gateway.
"We've done a lot of work to build this great council, so our focus now is to get any form of compensation (as our situation) ... has made it difficult for us to function as a council," Cr Bourke said.
"Professor Drew's report indicates that we are changing the whole council into the positive and that's what we're going to continue to do," Cr Bourke said.
Cr Fahey said he would be attending the meeting "not to look at demerging" but to examine financial remedies and possible extra funding avenues.
"Hopefully there will be some information on that and what others are doing and what pressure they are putting on the state government to properly fund local government into the future," Cr Fahey said.
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig has not confirmed he will attend the meeting, however Albury MP Justin Clancy, Wagga MP Joe McGirr and Greens MLC Amanda Cohn will participate.
Dr Cohn, a former Albury deputy mayor and now Greens local government spokeswoman, will speak on the deamalgamation plebiscites bill that she tabled in Parliament last November and which is due to be debated in February.
In 2022, Cootamundra-Gundagai Council won the backing of the previous Coalition state government to split, but the now Labor Local Government Minister Mr Hoenig flagged a new process in October because of statutory difficulties.
It requires the council to present its own plan for a break-up
Mayor Charlie Sheahan said that was not cost-effective and Dr Cohn's bill would allow a deamalgamation to unfold more promptly and for less expense.
Mr Clancy, who represents both Federation and Snowy Valleys council areas, is keen to attend the forum.
"I'm going there with an open mind and certainly supporting our community as what happens with Cootamundra-Gundagai has impacts for Snowy Valleys," Mr Clancy said.
The Save Tumbarumba Shire group has long been agitating for a carve-up of the Snowy Valleys Council on the basis of economics and a lack of community of interest with the Tumut end of the region.
