WYONG Shire mayor Doug Eaton has urged Lake Macquarie City Council to "stick to the facts" in the debate over the proposed boundary change that would see Wyee become part of the shire.
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After two public meetings convened by LMCC on the proposal, Cr Eaton said Wyee residents have been given a one-sided view of the proposal.
"I don't believe that the residents of Wyee have been given any information on which they could make an objective decision," he told the Lakes Mail.
Cr Eaton had proposed that Thursday's public meeting feature presentations by both councils, and that an independent person chair the meeting. That idea was rejected by LMCC.
Cr Eaton said the second public meeting seemed to have generated more misinformation about the shire and Wyong Shire Council (WSC).
Those issues included:
■ The threat of water restrictions: Cr Eaton said it had been two years since the shire was under water restrictions. The advent of the Mardi-Mangrove Pipeline Link meant that Wyong Shire was now in a stronger position than Newcastle on water supply. "If it doesn't rain, we've got water for about six years. If it doesn't rain, Newcastle has got water for about six months," he said.
■ Rates are higher in Wyong: "That's wrong," Cr Eaton said. "Our average rate is about $50 cheaper than the Lake Macquarie average rate." Rates in Wyee would be determined by relative property values, but Cr Eaton suspects they would be relatively lower than the shire average.
■ Wyee would become part of the 'forgotten north': Cr Eaton said WSC spends about 60 per cent of its rates revenue in the north of the shire. "The reason for that is that it's the area that is developing, so that's where the need is."
■ Talk of a 'Wyong land grab': Cr Eaton reiterated that the boundary change had been proposed by the Independent Local Government Review Panel. "This is not something that was started by WSC. And the state government makes the decision," he said.
Cr Eaton said LMCC had seemingly adopted a policy of opposing the proposed boundary shift, "no matter what" and regardless of what was best for Wyee residents.
"And at the end of the day, that should be the test: What is best for the residents?" he said.
Sewerage the central issue
WYONG mayor Doug Eaton said the critical issue surrounding the boundary change proposal was the delivery of sewerage services to Wyee.
And given the town's proximity to Wyong Council's sewage treatment plant at Charmhaven, it was logical for Wyee to become part of the shire.
"Hunter Water has been unable to deliver sewerage services for Wyee, and we're fairly sure that we can," he said.
In an effort to put "facts on the table", WSC last week resolved for council staff to prepare a draft water and sewerage servicing plan for the Wyee district.
"At least on the matter of the sewer, we will get that information together and give it to the decision maker - the Minister for Local Government," Cr Eaton said.
■ Interested residents have until tomorrow, April 4, to comment on the boundary change proposal at dlg.nsw.gov.au