The Berejiklian government’s remaining council merger plans have been thrown into upheaval after the NSW Supreme Court ruled the process used ahead of a proposed merger between Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby Councils did not accord with procedural fairness.
The decision could have ramifications for other Sydney councils challenging their proposed mergers in the courts, and mean that uncertainty around council mergers will continue for months or years to come.
Ku-ring-gai won in the Court of Appeal on five of its six arguments mounted against the process used to justify its proposed amalgamation with Hornsby.
At the heart of its challenge was a report by consultancy KPMG, which recommended council mergers and which the government refused to release in its entirety, claiming it was subject to “public interest immunity.”
