DISSATISFIED with the service from your council? Why not change councils?
That is what a group of Canning Vale residents came close to doing.
They wanted to take themselves out of the City of Gosnells’ jurisdiction and into the City of Canning’s.
Their bid was rejected by the Local Government Advisory Board – for now – because it felt it was premature to change boundaries due the changes likely to arise from future development in the area.
It found less than half the affected area had been developed and as this changed, significant changes in the use of facilities in Canning Vale were likely.
The proponents, the Canning Vale Progress Association, can reapply for a council boundary change in two years.
The board agreed with the association’s concerns that its members paid higher rates than other Gosnells ratepayers and there was dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided by the City of Gosnells.
For several years disgruntled Northbridge business operators have been threatening to have the Town of vincent’s boundary moved south from Newcastle Street to the railway line.
The City of Bayswater successfully annexed Maylands from the City of Stirling.
The City of Wanneroo was split into the City of Joondalup and the Town of Wanneroo and the City and Town of Albany became one.
Plans to amalgamate the small western suburbs councils into one body have been circulating for some time.
Local Government Advisory Board executive officer Duncan Watson said a proposed change of Local Government boundaries could be initiated by the affected council’s, electors within the affected area or the Local Government Minister.
If the affected electors want to initiate the change, 250 or 10 per cent of those in the affected area have to sign the proposal.
The board considers the proposals of all affected parties before handing down it recommendations.
Mr Watson said if the board’s recommendation was in favour of making a boundary change, affected electors voted on it.
At least 50 per cent of the affected electors have to vote.
“If there is no binding poll result, the board’s recommendation is forwarded to the Local Government Minister and he decides,” Mr Watson said.
The board has to consider eight criteria – community interest, physical and topographical features, demographic trends, economic factors, the area’s history, transport and communications matters, how the change would affect the Local Governments’ viability and how the change would affect the delivery of Local Government services.
