AMALGAMATION: 15 FEBRUARY 2017

Donato on forced council merger for Orange, Cabonne and Blayney scrapped

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party Member for Orange Philip Donato welcomed the NSW Government’s back-down on amalgamating Orange City Council with Cabonne Shire and Blayney Shire Councils, but added that the fight is not yet over.

The good news came on the first sitting day of Parliament for 2017 on Tuesday when Mr Donato was officially sworn in as Member for Orange.

“If this is a genuine reversal of the plan to amalgamate Orange City Council, Cabonne Shire and Blayney Shire Councils, then I welcome it,” Mr Donato said.

“The by-election result was built off the fact that this Liberal/National Coalition Government had stopped listening to what people want.

“People in my electorate didn’t want their councils to be forced to merge, and to lose the jobs and local identity that comes with that.

“Make no mistake. If the electorate of Orange had not changed hands last November, then this very likely would not have happened.

“If it weren’t for the Orange by-election, the Government would keep walking over people, and the National Party would have kept doing whatever the Liberal Party told them to do.”

Mr Donato added that for now he would remain sceptical about the Government’s plans until he saw the full reversal set in stone.

“I will remain vigilant for any reprisals our local Councils may receive from forcing Gladys Berejiklian and John Barilaro into an embarrassing back-down,” he said.

“I won’t stand idly by while people in the electorate of Orange are punished for standing up against a city-centric Government’s plan. Not on my watch.”

Philip Donato’s inaugural speech in the NSW Legislative Assembly will be at 12.30pm on February 22.

Based on media release issued by Philip Donato's office.