WHILE emotions were muted at Armidale’s public meeting into the planned merger, the message was clear: rural ratepayers will lose out.
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The majority of the 19 speakers who presented verbal submissions yesterday afternoon hailed from the former Dumaresq Shire and spoke of a lack of infrastructure maintenance of outlying areas since the merger.
In contrast with the Guyra meeting earlier that day, only 50 people attended and the meeting finished an hour and 20 minutes early.
Armidale Dumaresq rural ratepayer Sally Lucas said the road she lived on had not had its stormwater drainage system maintained “since Dumaresq Shire’s amalgamation” despite repeated calls to Armidale Dumaresq Council.
Armidale Dumaresq Ratepayers Association Chairwoman Maria Hitchcock also opposed the merger.
“As chair of the Dumaresq Local Area Committee since 2000 I have seen this neglect first hand,” she said.
“Rural residents have to lobby very hard to get anything done.”
Guyra Shire deputy Mayor Simon Murray said he had experienced badly-maintained Armidale Dumaresq rural roads and expected the trend to continue.
“Anyone living on the extremities of the shire will be severely impacted,” he said.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall reiterated his position that he “could not be more strident” in his opposition to any forced mergers.
“The case for this proposal has failed,” he said.
“Bigger isn’t necessarily better.”
Armidale Dumaresq councillors were the sole voices of support for amalgamation with only Mayor Herman Beyersdorf and Margaret O’Connor speaking in its favour.
Cr Beyersdorf said Armidale was “the true regional centre of New England” and said a merger would create a mutually beneficial area.
“Armidale does well when the towns and areas around Armidale are doing well,” he said.
Cr Beyersdorf also criticised opponents for the “in some cases offensive” comments claiming that Council was not harmonious as hurtful to ratepayers.
“[We are] a financially and socially viable council,” he said.
“Do not unfairly defile or denigrate this beautiful city in the process.”
Cr O’Connor also said claims made about rural infrastructure and representation were unfair.
“There are a lot of factual inaccuracies being spoke today,” she said.
