If you live in a wealthy area of Sydney, Gladys Berejiklian's government thinks your views are more important than if you don't.

If you live in Hunters Hill, or Mosman, or Vaucluse, Berejiklian's government thinks your views matter more than if you live in Punchbowl, Merrylands, or Ashfield.

That is a conclusion which is only too easy to draw from the pitiable, risible, craven decision taken on Thursday to abandon Sydney's remaining council mergers.

Set to one side the merits of the original amalgamation policy. The Premier and her ministers say they think mergers are a good thing. Sydney residents will be better off, they say, if local community services and town planning are conducted by larger councils.