A NEW “City of South Park” will be created as part of plans to slash the number of councils in Perth from 30 to 16.

The Barnett Government today announced its response to the Local Government Advisory Board report on metropolitan local government reform.

Local Government Minister Tony Simpson has accepted all but two of the report’s boundary recommendations in the biggest shake-up of councils in 100 years.

But his plan to change City of Perth boundaries has already hit a snag, with Labor and the National Party saying they will not support forced amalgamations.

Mr Barnett will introduce legislation into parliament which will force the City of Perth and the City of Vincent to merge, as well as take in such icons as the University of WA, QEII Medical Centre and Kings Park.

Labor leader Mark McGowan said his party would not support the City of Perth Act. The Act is the only part of the Barnett Government’s merger plans that needs to be ticked off by Parliament.

And National Party Terry Redman today reaffirmed the party’s opposition to forced amalgamations.

As revealed by The Sunday Times, a merger between City of South Perth and the City of Victoria Park will result in a new council called South Park.

The profanity-filled cartoon of the same name follows the hilarious exploits of Cartman, Kenny, Stan and Kyle in a fictional town located in The Rock Mountains of Colorado.

The City of South Park will include the Burswood peninsular, home to Crown Perth and the new Perth Stadium.

While the new council will collect rates from Crown Resort, the State Government will continue to hold planning and development authority.

Mr Simpson rejected the board’s recommendation for the City of Perth/City of Vincent and the proposed City of Riversea, which includes five western suburbs councils.

This was on the basis that key sites such as the University of Western Australia and the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre were not included in the enlarged City of Perth.

As also revealed by The Sunday Times, the State Government will introduce a City of Perth Act to set the city’s new boundaries and “ensure it has the status it deserves as Australia’s west coast capital”.

“The City of Perth must be better-equipped to respond to the demands of a growing State and better represent WA in the international market. So, as well as including the City of Vincent in the City of Perth boundaries, which the Board recommended, the City of Perth Act will also include UWA, Kings Park and QEII,” Premier Colin Barnett said.

“Except for the City of Perth and City of Riversea, the State Government endorses the Board’s recommended boundaries. This report provides a clear direction for the most significant step forward for local government reform in 100 years and people in the metropolitan area can clearly see how this process will affect them and the local government authority in which they will live.”

Yet Opposition from Labor and the Nationals to the City of Perth boundary changes are set to throw a spanner in the works.

“Our position hasn’t changed. The Nationals WA do not support forced local government amalgamations,” Mr Redman said.

Without the Nationals support in the Upper House, where they hold the balance of power, Mr Barnett cannot pass laws.

Mr McGowan told the media: “This is a dog’s breakfast of a policy approach,” he said.

“It has impacted local democracy and it is all a problem of the Premier’s own making.

“The costs associated with these forced amalgamations increases costs for local communities and local ratepayers and it also reduces local say.

“The government had a commitment at the last election of no forced amalgamations.

“And yet the government today, arrogantly ignores its own promises.”

●MAP: Check out the new boundary changes

The new local governments will start in July, with elections held next October. The average population in the councils will be about 114,000, compared with 63,000 before the changes.

The number of councillors will be reduced by 111 and there will also be 14 fewer CEOs. The State Government said would save $66 million over 10 years.

The names of the new local governments are interim names that will be used in the early stages of their operations.

Once the new councils are in place the new councils can decide to consult the community on whether to have another name.

There will be nine boundary changes and three amalgamations. Only residents of the six councils affected by amalgamations will be able to trigger a poll.

Mr Simpson said while he was rejecting the recommendation for a new City of Riversea – which included Nedlands, Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Peppermint Grove – reform in the western suburbs was still needed.

“The State Government is in very strong support of the Board’s recommendation for an amalgamation of those five western suburbs councils, particularly given the report clearly demonstrates the benefits of fewer western suburbs councils,” he said.

The report recommends the following local governments be joined by boundary adjustments:

● City of Swan and Shire of Mundaring to form City of Swan

● City of Bayswater and Town of Bassendean to form City of Bayswater

● City of Belmont and Shire of Kalamunda to form City of Belmont

● City of Subiaco and Town of Cambridge to form City of Subiaco

● City of Armadale and the north of Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale to form City of Armadale

● Shire of Murray and the south of Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale to form Shire of Murray

● City of Canning and City of Gosnells to form City of Gosnells

● A modified City of Stirling

● A modified City of Melville

The report recommends six local governments be amalgamated into three:

● City of South Perth and Town of Victoria Park to form City of South Park

● City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle to form City of Fremantle

● City of Kwinana and City of Cockburn to form City of Jervoise Bay

The cities of Joondalup, Rockingham and Wanneroo are not affected by the local government boundary changes.

The announcement today received a mixed response from mayors.

City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the Premier and Minister had made a “strong stand to ensure all Western Australians have a strong and effective capital city”.

“We look forward to understanding how the Government intends to address the challenges posed for all parties in the proposed merger with the City of Vincent,” she said.

“We will work collaboratively with the government and ensure our stakeholders are made aware of the implications of such a merger.

“Our shared goal remains creating a stronger capital city for all Western Australians.”

On Twitter, City of Vincent mayor John Carey hit out at plans for legislation for the City of Perth, saying: “Colin Barnett ignores independent umpire recommendation to pursue City of Perth Act. Uncertainty continues. Groundhog Day for Vincent!”

Shire of Kalamunda president Sue Bilich said the decision to adjust Belmont’s boundaries to take over Kalamunda was “an absolute disgrace”, saying residents had been denied a vote on their future.

“Residents have made it very clear to the State Government, they wanted the democratic right to vote on the issue of Local Government Reform,” Mrs Bilich said.

“A recommendation for an amalgamation would have allowed for this.”

“However, the recommendation by the Local Government Advisory Board that was accepted and announced by the Minister today is for a boundary adjustment, which does not trigger the poll provisions and is directly against the will of the people.”

Cockburn mayor Logan Howlett said the outcome was bittersweet as it faced having to lose the suburbs of North Coogee and Hamilton Hill to Fremantle and Coolbellup, North Lake, Jandakot City and it’s part of Leeming to Melville.

“The new City of Jervoise Bay will form a strong and robust local government with the capacity to deliver dynamic and sustainable services to its residents through a vibrant and engaging staff supported by an active volunteer base,” said Mr Howlett.

Fremantle welcomed the announcement that it will amalgamate with the Town of East Fremantle and expand its boundaries to include Bicton, Palmyra, Hamilton Hill, part of North Coogee and Rottnest.

“The decision reinforces Fremantle status as Perth’s second city and recognises Fremantle unique character,” Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said.

Stirling Mayor Giovanni Italiano said his council was bitterly disappointed by the decision to cut its boundaries.

Churchlands, Herdsman and parts of Wembley and Wembley Downs will transfer to the new

City of Subiaco. Inglewood and parts of Dianella, Mount Lawley, Menora and Yokine will transfer to the new City of Bayswater.

“We remain unconvinced this decision is in the best interest of the ratepayers who will likely pay the ultimate price through increased rates and fewer services,” Mr Giovanni said.

CCI, WA’s peak business body, welcomed the inclusion of UWA, Kings Park and QEII in the City of Perth, saying the move should allow for future expansions to include other assets.

CCI CEO Deidre Willmott said: “CCI has long called for local government reform that focuses on making our third tier of government more efficient and more focused on facilitating sustainable economic development for the benefit of all rate payers.”