Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig has requested at least 2000 more signatures from eligible Pittwater voters before he will refer the proposal to reinstate Pittwater Council to the NSW Boundaries Commission.
Minister Hoenig conceded in a parliamentary speech on 8 May 2024 that the legislation only required 250 signatures for a community-lead s215 proposal to be valid. Back then, he added that it would take a lot more than that to convince him to refer such a proposal to the boundaries commission – but never gave a precise number.
In the months that followed that speech, Protect Pittwater’s hardworking volunteers set about gathering those signatures from Pittwater Electors and well over 4000 signatures were presented to the Minister at Parliament House on 19 March 2025.
In a letter to Protect Pittwater President Simon Dunn earlier this month, Minister Hoenig recognised the significant effort Protect Pittwater had put into its s215 proposal and apologised for his delayed response. In his letter, copied to all Northern Beaches Local Members, and to Northern Beaches Council, he went on to say:
“For a proposal to proceed to the Boundaries Commission, I need to be assured that it has a substantial degree of support.”
“Accordingly, I request that you seek at least a further 2,000 signatures.”
After so long waiting for a response, Protect Pittwater is now regrouping to achieve the new target set by the Minister Hoenig and is spurred on in its mission not only by the growing discontent with Northern Beaches Council but also by Minister Hoenig and the NSW Boundaries Commission furthering two other proposals for de-amalgamation.
The Pittwater community will see our volunteers back on the streets in the coming weeks as we gather additional signatures from those residents who desperately want to bring back a lean and local council that listens to its community and safeguards Pittwater’s precious natural environment.
We are confident that Pittwater’s proposal will be next to be referred to the Boundaries Commission and that Local Government will be restored to this area.
Protect Pittwater
More at: protectpittwater.org
Background
Pittwater Council, initially part of the Warringah Shire, was proclaimed as a separate municipality on May 1, 1992. It existed as an independent local council for about 24 years before being forced to amalgamate with Manly and Warringah Councils to form the Northern Beaches Council on May 12, 2016. This was despite strong local opposition, including an 89% vote against amalgamation in a Pittwater Council survey.
In 2023 Protect Pittwater members again began gathering signatures on a petition for a plebiscite and a return of Pittwater Council following the first one becoming ‘lost’ for 12 months and then once 'found' again being rejected by the then Coalition Minister for Local Government Gabrielle Upton, despite meeting the criteria under the Local Government Act for the same.
However, the most recent '12 month delay' repeat has not deterred residents.
“So be it. The longer this forced amalgamation continues, the more apparent its failure becomes.” residents have stated
Residents have witnessed the passing of the selling off of Pittwater assets at a meeting residents could not address due to the removal by the council of the Public Address prior to council meetings, and conjecture circulating the council is compiling a list of other Pittwater land assets it could sell off, the slaughter of a Little Penguin on Warriewood beach by an offleash dog, with dogs offleash everywhere and a rise in attacks being attributed to the messaging coming out of the council, the passing of a DA in a known flood zone at Mona Vale, and residents stating there are now several DA's where the council has denied due process to the community and the individuals this will directly impact, along with generational debt and stress to those now in school who will pay to fix the piled on problem, and the Northern Beaches Council topping complaints to the NSW Office of Local Government data in recent weeks.
Atop this the installation of more concrete in a green area Pittwater residents adamantly wanted kept as is, that serves no purpose for the elderly, those in wheelchairs of pushing prams due to it being a series of steps, is just more cement locals say they can't wait to rip out once that imposed on them is gone, indicates the difference in culture, values - and even what is still considered the 'visual amenity' difference between the Warringah and Pittwater councils.
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the new concrete that creates more 'access and visual amenity', unless you're pushing a pram, in a wheelchair, or using a walking stick
Chapter 9 How are councils established? of the Local Government Act states:
Part 1 Areas
Division 2 What must be done before areas can be constituted?
215 Who may initiate a proposal?
(1) A proposal may be made by the Minister or it may be made to the Minister by a council affected by the proposal or by an appropriate minimum number of electors.
(2) An appropriate minimum number of electors is—
(a) if a proposal applies to the whole of an area or the proposal is that part of an area be constituted as a new area—250 of the enrolled electors for the existing area or 10 per cent of them, whichever is the greater, or
(b) if a proposal applies only to part of an area—250 of the enrolled electors for that part or 10 per cent of them, whichever is the lesser.
