Mayors Bridget Archer and Christina Holmdahl jointly announced plans to submit a request to Local Government Minister Peter Gutwein for a feasibility study on an amalgamation.

Cr Holmdahl said the two municipal areas formed the heart of the Tamar Valley with many communities of common interest and was a “natural progression”.

“Local government has been looking at a range of models that are available to improve our performances and to increase the standard of our services, some council have been looking at possible amalgamations, others have been looking at resource sharing opportunities,” the West Tamar mayor said.

Both councillors denied the move towards a single Tamar Valley Council was a pre-emptive strike in an effort to not become caught up in a Greater Launceston merger with the City of Launceston.

“It’s our view from the preliminary work that we have done is that a better fit for us and for George Town is that the merger would be West Tamar and George Town … we don’t believe [merging with the City of Launceston] benefits our ratepayers,” Cr Holmdahl said. 

“We believe that the synergies between our two council, would work better than being incorporated into a large council.”

Cr Archer said there were opportunities for both councils to gain major advantages from a merger.

“There are some things that West Tamar does really well at the moment, particularly in that community space with positive ageing, youth, tourism and those sort of things that I think George Town would benefit greatly from … and George Town has one of the most premier industrial estates in the state,” she said.

The mayors said the proposal was only in the early stages and extensive community consultation as well as a feasibility study were vitally important.

The process could be completed by the local government elections in October 2018 but may take three years.

Mr Gutwein said a study into resource sharing options for councils in the North was already underway but gave his support to the proposal.

“We applaud the leadership that West Tamar and George Town councils have shown and we look forward to a positive community conversation about council mergers,” he said.

EARLIER:

“West Tamar and George Town Councils have come together in the shared belief that the proactive development of a vision and preferred future for the Tamar Valley presents an opportunity that should be explored in detail,” a press release from the councils said.

“[They] share in a goal to see this important part of Tasmania prosper and grow in a manner that complements the many existing assets and lifestyle attributes of the area.”

The councils plan to write to the Minister for Local Government Peter Gutwein outlining a desire to work with the State in undertaking a pre-feasibility study to assess the potential of a merger.

“If support is provided by the State Government for the proposal to explore a merger of the two Councils, pre-feasibility work will be undertaken,” the press release said.

“Extensive community consultation will follow to determine if the concept of a Tamar Valley Council has broad support.”