The fight against the amalgamation of the Cabonne, Orange and Blayney Councils may be over but a group of Cabonne residents is still calling for change.
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The residents want their part of Cabonne to be included in Orange.
And Cabonne Council residents might get the chance to vote on whether to allow boundary changes that would hand part of their area to Orange City Council.
Cabonne Mayor Ian Gosper has suggested that a referendum be held alongside the council’s next elections on September 9.
“There may be a need for a referendum at the next local government elections in September to give all residents of Cabonne Shire an opportunity to express their opinion on boundary adjustments,” he said.
A council spokesman said the result would be binding.
Eastern Cabonne residents have requested boundary changes to allow them to join Orange City Council which they said would give them fairer rates, rubbish collection and be closer to their interests.
Cr Gosper confirmed the election date on Thursday after the council received confirmation from Local Government Minister Gabrielle Upton that Cabonne was no longer in a merger proposal.
However the referendum proposal has been rejected by the breakaway group which is still seeking a meeting with Ms Upton and Deputy Premier John Barilaro.
Eastern Cabonne spokesman Guy Gaeta said they were concerned that if the referendum was open to all Cabonne residents the east Cabonne vote would be swamped by the rest of the council area.
“The eastern Cabonne groups sees there is a very high cost and little value in holding it,” he said.
“It would also delay any decision by probably another 12 months and we have been waiting for more than five years.
“We are therefore left with no other choice than to ask the government to hold an inquiry into boundary adjustment.”
Orange City Council has also responded to comments by the Cabonne anti-amalgamation group ANTY that Cabonne residents should be wary of joining Orange.
Council spokesman Nick Redmond said ANTY had suggested Orange City Council had “some sort of secret motive.
“The boundary change case is coming from east Cabonne residents,” he said.
“If east Cabonne residents see value in becoming part of the Orange City Council area I am not sure how that has become Orange City Council’s motive.
“Clearly Orange City Council will have an interest in this but it is coming from the community not Orange City Council,” he said.
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
