The proposed legislation, introduced by Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MLC Robert Borsak, seeks to require referendums to be held in relation to the amalgamation or proposed amalgamation of local councils.

It gained support from the Greens and, outside parliament, the ANTY group in Guyra.

“We now have a chance to get the whole ‘fit for the future’ process discussed or at least looked at in the lower house, giving us some real confidence in the hope that de-amalgamation may be a possibility in the near future,” spokesman Rob Lenehan told The Argus this week.

“There is no doubt that the state government’s reform process for local government has been an unmitigated disaster and this is further proven by recent court rulings deeming the actions of the state government were illegal.

“The premise of forced mergers bringing in ‘efficiencies and cost savings’ and lower rates for landholders was a farce and is now impossible.”

Earlier this month Guyra resident and Liberal MLC Scot MacDonald spoke against the SFFP bill in the Legislative Council.

“I could not possibly support it,” Mr MacDonald said. 

“I do not speak of this in a theoretical or political sense, I live in Guyra. 

“I have lived in Guyra since 1989.

“Some 28 years ago when I came to Guyra there was discussion about amalgamations.

“To the best of my knowledge, this round of discussions is at least the third and possibly the fourth time that our community has stared down the barrel of amalgamation.”

Mr MacDonald said it would be in the interest of the community to move on.

“I firmly believe that the community would not countenance going through this process again because it is a traumatic and divisive process,” he said. 

“It would be almost impossible to unscramble this egg.

“I love my community – my kids were born and educated there and they played sport there.

“I do not want our community to be dragged through this process again.”

Mr MacDonald said since the amalgamation, some major projects have been commenced.

“The Guyra Campdraft Club received $42,000 for cattle yards … the Guyra and District Historical Society Machinery Group received $28,549.50 for revitalisation of the rail line infrastructure and railway station … the Guyra Sports Council received $25,000 for new the fence at Guyra Sportsground,” he said.

“These projects would not have progressed under the separate councils.”

He also pointed out the Guyra main street upgrade.

“The Guyra Shire Council had wanted to upgrade the main street in Guyra but had no money,” he said. 

“Now Stronger Communities has allocated more than $2 million to this project.

Mr MacDonald said Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall was doing a magnificent job progressing water security for Guyra.

“If water security occurs in the way proposed by the new joint Armidale Regional Council, it will underpin further expansion and jobs in Guyra,” he said.

“The two previous councils aspired to these projects and bickered about them.

Mr MacDonald said a major problem that Guyra Shire Council had was that approximately 75 per cent of its rate base was a rural rate base – with very little residential and commercial.

“The new council, which includes Armidale, has a better balance of rural, residential and commercial and can use this rate base to move forward,” he said.

“This bill would drag my community through this process again.

“I urge members to pause and think about what they are doing, irrespective of their political motivations.”

In a Facebook post earlier this week, the SFFP called on local MP Adam Marshall to show his support.

“We call on Adam Marshall and the NSW Nationals to do the right thing and vote in the affirmative for this bill and give their respective constituents a democratic say on council amalgamations,” they wrote.

However, Mr Marshall told Fairfax Media earlier this year that he supported the cabinets decision when the merger policy was adopted in February.

“I’m really pleased because this decision gives every council in every community certainty about the future,” Mr Marshall said in February. 

The bill will be put before the Legislative Assembly after the six-week winter break.