AS court action began yesterday to prevent the amalgamation of Orange, Cabonne and Blayney councils, Cabonne Council has kept its options open to lodge an appeal should its legal challenge be unsuccessful.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cabonne, Walcha, Oberon and Gundagai councils will continue their case in the NSW Land and Environment Court today, challenging the legality of the provisions the state government used in the merger proposal.
However, councillors also voted on Monday afternoon to lodge a notice of intention to appeal against any judgment not in its favour and seek an injunction preventing Local Government Minister Paul Toole from proclaiming a merged council pending the council’s consideration of the result.
Lodging the intention to appeal would cost the council $20,000, with the full appeal expected to cost about $150,000.
General Manager Andrew Hopkins told councillors it remained unclear whether other councils involved in the case would also participate in the process and the NSW Court of Appeal could take eight to 10 months before it could hear the case.
Councillors also voted to provide an additional $30,000 for legal costs for this week’s case, taking the total expenditure to $50,000.
Cabonne mayor Ian Gosper could not be reached for comment yesterday.
