Light Regional Council are fighting against what Mayor Bill O’Brien has described as a “highly questionable takeover” from two neighbouring Councils seeking boundary re-alignment.
A motion without notice from Mayor O’Brien, listing eight points, was carried and agreed upon by every elected member during last week’s meeting in a show of defiance and unity that made the Kapunda based Mayor proud.
“I have to say, in my nearly nine years’ experience as Mayor, this was probably the most positive and focussed meeting of Council I’ve attended.
his topic and threat brought everyone together focusing on boundary reform, the re-alignment being proposed and what, as a Council and region, we would stand to lose,” Mayor O’Brien told The Leader.
“We want to let our residents and the wider community know what’s going on regarding boundary reform and the threat that we are under from both The Barossa Council and Town of Gawler Council.
“If that threat was carried out and adopted, our Council would be unsustainable. We would not exist, just a carcass for the birds to pick on!”
Mayor O’Brien said what remained of the Light region could possibly be amalgamated with Adelaide Plains, or perhaps a northern Council and he didn’t believe that would be a good thing for Local Government or residents in the region.
“Furthermore, I suspect our neighbouring Councils may not consider or support any such amalgamation either,” he added.
The carried motion’s first point noted Light Regional Council’s CEO, Brian Carr and Mayor O’Brien had advised their counterparts at both councils back on February 13 that they were “not interested in the matter” as it was “considered to be a major distraction to the effective operations of all Councils involved and an unnecessary expense with no economic or other benefits to the enti...
