Claremont Council Paves Way for Potential Merger with Neighbouring Councils

Council mergers in Western Australia appear to be a step closer after the Town of Claremont voted to explore the idea, foreshadowing a potential amalgamation of western suburbs councils.

The state government is keen to encourage mergers, and last month introduced a number of reforms aimed at supporting such moves. Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley has previously said councils could see the benefits of such "economies of scale."

On Tuesday, the Town of Claremont unanimously voted to authorise its mayor, Peter Telford, to discuss potential mergers. Mr Telford said the decision showed "leadership and confidence" at Claremont, adding that "it probably is time" for a merger.

Councils that the town shares borders with, namely Nedlands, Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove, would be obvious targets, he added.

"We've got a meeting next week with the Minister Hannah Beazley, just to explore funding, what the options would be for Claremont to consider… to do our fact findings, so we understand the situation," Mr Telford said.

"We want to be up front with the community to say that with the support of my council, unanimous, that we should have these discussions."

Economic modelling call

Town of Cottesloe Mayor Melissa Harkins said western suburb councils had held informal discussions about mergers with the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), adding that some of those councils already shared resources, such as rangers and depots.

"There is already a great deal of cooperation and that all makes sense," she said.

"So if mergers are the next part to move forward, we would certainly look at that and we'll take something to council for that to be discussed."

But Ms Harkins said she wanted to see state government-funded economic and social modelling carried out before considering a merger.

Minister meeting

In a statement, Minister Beazley said she was looking forward to meeting the Claremont mayor next week to discuss the council's "exciting development".

"I congratulate the Town of Claremont in unanimously supporting exploring this opportunity," she said.

"The council has shown incredible leadership by looking at what is in the best interests of their community, not just for today, but in the years and decades to come."

Background

Over a decade ago, former WA Premier Colin Barnett announced plans to halve the amount of Perth metro councils, but opposition to the policy meant it was abandoned in 2015.

Local governments in the western suburbs are significantly smaller than in other areas of Perth. The Shire of Peppermint Grove is the metro area's smallest council, with a population of around 1,600 and an area of 1.06 square kilometres, according to its website.

The Town of Cottesloe has around 8,000 residents, while Nedlands has 25,000 residents. By comparison, the City of Stirling has a population of more than 254,000 residents, making it the largest local government area in the state.