George River Life

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A MESSAGE FROMTHE ADMINISTRATOR
As you may have seen in the
media, the NSW Government
announced the amalgamation
of Kogarah and Hurstville City
Councils on Thursday 12 May,
2016.The Government named the new merged entity
Georges River Council, which is one of a number of
new councils created as part of Local Government
reforms.
I have been appointed by the NSW Government
as Council’s Administrator, and Ms Gail Connolly,
former General Manager of City of Ryde, has been
appointed as General Manager. My role is to ensure
the successful establishment of the new Council in
preparation for the next local elections on Saturday 9
September, 2017.
As General Manager, Gail will ensure services are
delivered and establish an organisation to support
the Council in achieving its will work
together to achieve a smooth transition and establish
a Council which is financially sound, transparent in its
operations and engaged with our community.
Whilst there are no elected Councillors you can
be assured that your concerns and requests will
be heard. I am available to meet with residents,
and community members can address meetings of
Council. Further opportunities for engagement will be
forthcoming with the establishment of a number of
advisory committees.
You will have observed that services have continued
uninterrupted to ensure a ‘business as usual’ approach
for our residents.
One of the early changes to how we do business has
been to reform the way development applications
are considered. Routine applications, including most
of those made by mums and dads, will be quickly
processed by staff, while more complex applications
will be determined by the newly-established
Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel (IHAP).
This Panel is made up of experts in law, planning, and
design, and community representatives will be present
at each meeting.The IHAP will, in an open and
transparent hearing, consider the views of applicants
and residents, and has the authority to approve or
refuse decisions, or determine a compromise.
A Stronger Communities Fund of up to $15 million
will provide new councils a head start on community
infrastructure projects such as sporting fields,
libraries, and parks.
If you have any questions or suggestions for
improvement, I encourage you to call Council on
9330 6400, 24 hours 7 days a week, or visit www.
Yours sincerely,
John Rayner PSM
Administrator, Georges River Council
GEORGES RIVER LIFE ISSUE 1:
JULY - SEPTEMBER 2016