"We are determined to get on with this," he said at the release of the report by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. Opposed to forced amalgamations: Fred Nile. The IPART report found about 60 per cent of the state's councils were not "fit for the future", according to IPART's criteria. The list included Clover Moore's City of Sydney Council, which was considered fit on the criteria applied to other councils, but did not meet the tougher test of a "global city council". In Sydney, only 12 of the city's councils submitted proposals to IPART deemed to be fit. Most of the 29 deemed unfit failed on the basis they did not meet the scale and capacity criteria.

The Premier will now give councils 30 days to respond to IPART and come up with their own merger proposals, and gave himself a tight deadline for resolving negotiations. "Mergers will cost state taxpayers and local ratepayers money." Mosman mayor Peter Abelson. Credit:Peter Morris "Our expectation is ... we hope to have this process completed by the end of the year," he said. "That is our desire." He did not say how he could get councils to merge if they did not, and his Coalition government would struggle to win upper house support for legislation to forcibly merge councils. Key cross-benchers Fred Nile and two Shooters and Fishers MPs have said they would not support such legislation.

"We are opposed to any forced amalgamations," the Reverend Nile said on Tuesday. But the government has offered a $15 million carrot to any council that wanted to amalgamate, which it could use for parks, roads or other infrastructure. Councils would not be able to access these grants if they did not submit new proposals in 30 days. "We have consulted, we have engaged, we have implored, we have given significant incentives," the Premier said. "We are the ratepayer's friend, I can assure you." IPART's report gave the thumbs up to a merger proposal from Randwick and Waverley Councils, as well as a proposal from Auburn, Burwood and Canada Bay.

But the report faced criticism from other councils for declaring them financially "fit" yet not viable on what they said was ill-defined "scale" criteria. "Mergers will cost state taxpayers and local ratepayers money," said Mosman mayor Peter Abelson, who called the scale criteria "fabricated" with no "substance or evidence base". Cr Moore said: "To say the City of Sydney is somehow unfit in the face of this strong evidence to the contrary makes a mockery of the entire review process, and throws into question all decisions made as a result." Greens local government spokesperson David Shoebridge said: "The community aren't mugs, they can see that this was never about a rational assessment of local council's 'fitness' but rather a political hatchet job by the Baird government. Releasing the report, Mr Baird said he was disappointed in the response by councils to date and he expected "genuine consideration, genuine responses".

"For many councils this is a final opportunity to do the right thing for the future of their communities, which in many cases may include merging with neighbouring councils," he said. The state government last week reiterated its determination to reduce the 152 councils currently in NSW. Mr Baird told a hostile audience at a Local Government NSW conference that fewer councils would mean "we have hundreds of millions of dollars that we can put to work for our ratepayers". The NSW government asked IPART in April to assess whether or not councils met criteria meaning they were "fit for the future".

The process has been controversial, with many councils perceiving the looming threat of forced amalgamations, while IPART's methodology has come under fire.

Sydney councils deemed fit for the future

​Auburn, Burwood and City of Canada Bay (merger proposal)

Bankstown

Blue Mountains City

Camden

Penrith City Council

Randwick and Waverley (merger proposal)

Sutherland Shire

The Hills Shire

Wollondilly Shire​ Sydney councils deemed unfit

Ashfield City Council

Blacktown City Council

Botany Bay Council

Campbelltown City Council

Canterbury City Council

Fairfield City Council

Hawkesbury City Council

Holroyd City Council

Hornsby Shire Council

Hunters Hill Council

Hurstville City Council

Kogarah City Council

Ku-ring-gai Council

Lane Cove Council

Leichhardt Municipal Council

Liverpool City Council

Manly Council

Marrickville Council

Mosman Municipal Council

North Sydney Council

Parramatta City Council

Pittwater Council

Rockdale City Council

Ryde City Council

Strathfield Municipal Council

Sydney City Council (as a Global City)

Warringah Council

Willoughby City Council

Woollahra Municipal Council

